A few days later, Binck stood in front of the JFU building, staring up at the tower of glass and steel. It was a relatively quiet weekend, and adding on that it was mostly a commercial area, there was practically nobody out in the streets.

Though, as he waited, a few other boys started showing up. Most of them wore their school uniform, or some sort of sportswear, which confused Binck. He'd been sure there was nothing that explicitly stated he had to wear his uniform…

"Are you here for the Red Latch Project as well?" One of the other boys suddenly asked him.

"Yep!" Binck smiled welcomingly at the boy, giving him his full attention.

"Oh. You weren't dressed like the rest of us, so I assumed you weren't."

"Am I supposed to wear an uncomfortable school uniform on a Saturday?" He gestured down to himself, at the casual pair of jeans and a hoodie he wore. "It didn't say anything about that.”

"But Red Latch is a chance to represent our schools, and show that our schools are good enough at football to get people into this project." The other kid said with confusion. "Don't you want to show people where you're from?”

Binck frowned for once, the usual bright smile on his face falling away. What is this guy on about? "Not really?"

"But this project is good for our schools!" The other boy said. "Imagine if we get on the U-20 team, we can proudly represent our own school teams. We'd be the hero of our own team.”

Binck didn't understand a bit. "This project," he said slowly. "Is a way for you as a person to progress in life. This is a place for you to become the best football player you can."

He gestured at the school uniform the other boy was wearing. "So I don't know why you're on about schools, because none of that matters. What matters most is your own self improvement, and your own success."

"That's a bit selfish, isn't it?" More people were arriving, looking a bit perplexed at the two boys arguing just outside of the front gate. "Don't you care about the friends and teams that you play with?"

"Not particularly." Binck answered. He wisely left out the point where he hadn't played for his school's football team at all. "Look, what position do you play?"

"I play striker."

"Alright, I'm a striker myself." Binck pointed to himself. "If you focus your energy on helping the team, you'll never improve. If everything is about honor or teamwork, then you'll never be able to score enough goals to become a top striker."

"Football is all about teamwork though!" Other people were getting in on the conversation, a few of them looking annoyed at Binck. There were around twenty different boys there now.

"I'm a striker too, and you've got to be a good teammate to score goals. Not selfish." That was another person.

One by one, everyone there revealed themselves to be strikers. Without exception, they were all strikers. Binck thought hard. The Exaltation Project trained all types of forwards. Is the Red Latch Project strikers only?

"You need to live for your goals to become a top striker." Binck growled out. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists at his sides. These guys are so... weak. So pathetic. "I learnt that, and if you want to get anywhere, you'll have to learn that too."

(Author’s note: no, he didnt actually growl. hes not darkwolf)