4 Days Later, Second-to-last day of the Training Camp
“Yukimura-sama! I’m so glad that you were able to make it! All the cuties were looking forward to seeing you again.”
“Tsukishiro-san, I see that you’re the same as ever. You always did have a strange definition of the word ‘cute’”
“Ohohoho, and whatever could you mean by that Yukimura-sama?”
Despite having the same eye smile as always, Tsukishiro rested her tilted face alongside one of her left palm as if daring Yukimura to challenge her on the topic of her ‘cuties’ leading to a sweatdrop from the young man who concluded it would be prudent to back off now.
“Soooo”
Turning to face the Eisei, Hakuren and Raimon members who had gathered around him, Yukimura gave a confident smile before resting his hands inside his pockets and speaking.
“As I was saying earlier, if I think you’re interesting, I’ll be checking in individually with certain players during their training today. If I don’t come up to you, don’t bother seeking me out. It means I wasn’t interested in your plays.”
Hearing the strict and concise message from the navy blue-haired man, everyone nodded their heads in understanding while some clenched their fists determined to catch Yukimura’s eye, others decided to just hope for the best and pray while others gave up right away and decided it would be best to just continue their individual training as usual.
Clap Clap
Turning their heads before they could disperse, the crowd of players looked over at where the clapping had originated from and saw the 3 coaches : Aphrodi, Saginuma and Oshiya Manabe. With arms folded in front of him, Aphrodi then raised his right hand to silence the gathered teams and began to speak.
“Alright, I know everyone is excited that Yukimura-san is here today but don’t forget that tomorrow will be the last day of the training camp so make sure to do your best today and practice so you leave no regrets! After discussing it with the other coaches, there will be one more practice match between Raimon and Hakuren tomorrow to end the training camp that we expect everyone to be at. This is your last chance to power up before the Holy Road Finals begin so work hard everyone!”
“Hai!”
Letting out a resoundant cry of affirmation upon hearing the reminder that the Holy Road Finals were beginning soon, the gathered players set off to practise with renewed focus and determination. Satisfied with the looks he saw, Aphrodi walked over to Yukimura who was doing some stretches on the side of the field in an easy-going manner.
“Congrats, I saw the news. You’ll be playing for Borussia Dortmund correct? That’s quite an achievement for someone of your age.”
“Thanks Aphrodi-san, but I couldn’t just let Tenma be the only one to go Pro after all. He’s a year younger than me but it seems like we’ll be getting news he’ll be playing for River Plate F.C any day now.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that Yukimura-san”
“Nani?!”
Tapping his chin in amusement, Aphrodi didn’t want to spoil the surprise so he kept his lips sealed despite Yukimura’s persistent pestering, until the younger player finally gave up and headed off to check on the teams. Thanks in part to Aphrodi’s planning, his team, Paris Saint-Germaine F.C, would be the ones scooping up Matsukaze Tenma and Hakuryuu from the Youth League much to the chagrin of Endou and Kidou who had wanted to scout out the two players as well for Inter Milan FC and Bayern Munchen respectively.
Well…they shouldn’t mind conceding him this, considering he was doing them a favour by coaching the Raimon team during his long awaited break after all. Letting out a small laugh to himself, Aphrodi went over to check on the Raimon members while the other two coaches did the same with their own teams.
Hakuren Outdoor Field, One Hour Later
Huff Huff Huff
Wiping the sweat from her brow with her hand, Mika paused to take a sip from her water bottle only to see a towel being offered to her by a short boy with long, dark green hair. It was him again.
Leonidas Tsujo.
It seemed that Ryoga wasn’t around right now, so he was currently running around trying to be of service to the other players who were on the field by offering water, towels, muscle rollers and the like. Accepting the towel gratefully, Mika thanked him and watched as his green hair bounced behind him like a mane as he went in search for someone else in need of his assistance.
With her eyes continuing to follow the boy, Mika found herself remembering the events from earlier in the week.
“TSUJO-KUN!! LOOK OUT!!”
Dropping his tablet, Leonidas’s eyes widened a little before his body rotated slightly to the left allowing the tip of his right foot to hit the ball directly sending it flying backwards to the other side of the field…
His instincts were certainly remarkable but moreover it was obvious from his movements that he had at least some experience with the ball. And yet, a player with his potential was delegated as a manager? It simply wasn’t logical, if Hakuren wanted to maximise their odds of winning the Holy Road Finals it would need every bit of fighting power they could muster. Kicking the ball between her feet half-heartedly for a bit, Mika frowned while pondering the possibilities but no logical explanation seemed to exist in her mind. Deciding on the most efficient way to dispel her curiosity, Mika called the person in question over.
“Tsujo-kun!”
Hearing his name called out, Leonidas glided over to her and held out his tablet.
[How can I help you Ojou-sama?]
“Would you please inform me as to why you are not a player on the Hakuren team?”
[Katata-sama does not wish for it]
“......”
Baffled at the simple and yet ridiculous response, Mika’s eyelids fluttered in confusion. She knew that Ryoga was a rather rash and emotional player but for him to actively work against his own team in such a way reached new levels of foolishness. Or was this confidence in his own ability?
No.
Something else had to be the reason for this, but Ryoga and Leonidas didn’t seem to be on bad terms considering how Leonidas seemed to be the only person Ryoga could tolerate on the team…
It seemed they wouldn’t be getting anywhere at this rate however, as Leonidas gave no inclination of further explaining himself and so Mika decided to stop pressing the boy for now. However, a tad unwilling to let such talent go to waste, Mika decided it was time to do some further investigation on her part and gave a light kick to the ball.
“Tsujo-kun, if it’s alright with you, would it be possible for you to train with me for a bit?”
[I apologise Ojou-sama but I lack the qualifications required to assist someone of your skill level]
“I have already taken your skill level into consideration Tsujo-kun…I think you will be of more assistance to me than you think you will”
[...]
Pausing while he continued to hold his tablet in his arms, Leonidas nervously began to wiggle his feet in place, as a look of hesitation flashed in his eyes. Seeing this, Mika attempted to soften her countenance and bent over in order to see him eye to eye.
“If I was asking too much of you and made you feel uncomfortable, I apologise, Tsujo-kun. In fact, I was not completely veracious when I spoke to you earlier, I desired to see your potential and it was selfish of me to request this of you out of my own greed. However, if you would like to play soccer right now, I would be honoured to join you”
Leonidas blinked his eyes as he stared at the black haired girl in front of him who had her hands on her knees as she bent down to look him in the eye. She had an indecipherable look on her face that he had never seen before.
Leonidas had seen many types of faces that looked at him with apathy, pity, confusion, love, and disgust but it was the first time he had seen this type of face. Tilting his face upwards, he saw the purple eyes waiting patiently for his answer, which made him lose his courage and he looked back downwards at the ball that Mika had kicked towards him earlier.
The black pentagons and hexagons stared back at him.
Closer and closer, the black hexagons approached him.
They were so close to him now.
Leonidas began to breathe faster and faster…
Closer and closer and closer…
Huff Huff Huff
Shutting his eyes tightly, Leonidas found himself back in his room. The emptiness comforted him and he slid against the door until his butt hit the ground. This was what he was used to…
Then he heard that sound.
Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
Looking upwards, he saw the old clock that accompanied him through the nights like a faithful lighthouse guiding lost sailors to shore. Unconsciously, his hand began to drift towards the clock and Leonidas’s body began to drift in its direction. However, right before his hand could reach the clock he turned his head around.
Knock Knock Knock
Not wanting to open the door, Leonidas was filled with a dread that washed over his body like a cold wave that made it hard for him to breathe. Freezing up, his orange eyes blinked in the dark room as the boy wondered if whoever had knocked had left or not.
……
Knock Knock Knock
Closing his eyes tightly, Leonidas dug his feet into the ground hoping that whoever it was would just leave but it was no use. Feeling a push from behind, Leonidas began to walk towards the door. Step by step, the closer he got, the more pressure he could feel being emitted from behind the door.
Step by step…
Closer and closer…
Finally at the door, Leonidas tried to push his arms away but an invisible force grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the door handle. Feeling it twist underneath his hand, Leonidas groaned but to no avail.
Creaaaaaaaak
No, no, no, no!
Refusing to open his eyes, Leonidas waited for the person who had knocked to speak up.
Bounce Bounce Bounce
Slowly opening his right eye, Leonidas shortly thereafter opened his left, not quite sure of what he was seeing. Rather than a person, a simple soccer ball was bouncing up and down in front of him in a pitch-black hallway. Seeing that the boy had opened his eyes, the ball excitedly bounced closer and closer to him forcing Leonidas to back up just as quickly as the ball scooted closer. Pushed back to the door that had shut behind him, Leonidas hid his face behind his hands and screamed out
“NO!”
Surprised by the suddenly emitted shout, the ball backed up as if it too were scared and began to shake in place by his feet. Seeing that he was fine, Leonidas looked down at the trembling soccer ball and thought that it was slightly cuter than he had anticipated it to be. Hesitantly, he gave the ball a light tap with his foot upon which the ball excitedly began to spin in circles around him like a puppy meeting its owner for the first time.
Seeing this, Leonidas let out the ever so slightest smile and bent down to pick up the ball that was waiting for the boy.
Then as his right hand slowly grasped the ball, a bright golden light burst out that blinded him and filled the dark space with warmth.
“Tsujo-kun?”
Blinking to reorient himself, Leonidas found himself staring into the brilliant amethyst eyes of Mika Kuroha.
Unsure of what had just happened, Leonidas looked downwards feeling an unfamiliar weight in his arms and saw the white and black soccer ball that had knocked on his door. Seeing it look back at him, Leonidas nodded his head slowly and put it down so he could type with his tablet.
[Yes, let’s…practice Ojou-sama]
Smiling upon hearing his words, Mika stood up straight and got into a ready position.
“As soon as you’re ready Tsujo-kun”
Hup
Giving the ball a wary kick, Leonidas took notice that dribbling the ball was much more comfortable than he thought it would be and soon found himself approaching Mika and the goal standing behind her.
This…wasn’t such a bad feeling.
One Hour Later
Swoosh
Seeing the ball hit the net cleanly, Leonidas stood in front of the goal without letting out a sound.
“That’s a decent kick you got there kid”
Running up to the duo who were standing in front of the goal, Mika gave a light bow to the blue-haired man.
“Yukimura-san”
Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Giving her a look up and down, Yukimura nodded thoughtfully while stroking his chin.
“You’re Mika Kuroha-san?”
“Yessir”
“......”
Neither Leonidas nor Mika were uncomfortable with silence, so they waited patiently while Yukimura continued to stare at the two quietly.
“Okay, let me show you something. Give me that”
Motioning with his hand, Yukimura gave a signal to Leonidas who nodded in understanding and ran to retrieve the ball that was currently lying inside the goal. Handing it to the striker, the navy-haired man rested it on the penalty box line and indicated with his head for the two to move to the side and watch carefully.
Taking in a deep breath, Yukimura closed his eyes then reopened them with a bright blue glow emanating from within. Jumping in the air he spun to the right using the back of his right foot to kick in the air creating a blue slash. Spinning around, he then kicked upward using his left leg creating another blue slash. Wind, snow and ice then began to storm around the side of the field as a pair of eyes igniting red revealed a large white panther from behind him. As the ball continued to spin and pull in the surrounding snow, Yukimura then jumped up once more, spinning to the right and giving a fierce kick with his left leg.
PANTHER BLIZZARD
Swoosh!
Flying violently towards the goal, the ball hit the net smoothly as Yukimura looked back towards the two who had been watching the entire process intently. Giving a glare at Leonidas, Yukimura shouted out
“Okay, your turn”
Hearing this, Mika’s eyes opened slightly wider in surprise and looked to her left to check on Leonidas who didn’t react and just silently began to walk towards to go pick up the ball.
Placing it in the same place that Yukimura had kicked from, Leonidas closed his eyes and bent on one knee. Stroking the ball softly, he leaned in to whisper something that neither Yukimura nor Mika could catch and then jumped up in the air spinning to the right. Giving a kick with his right foot he created a blue slash then gave a kick with his left creating another blue slash and the same storm that Yukimura had just summoned was called forth. However, hiding within the storm blinked a pair of golden eyes and as Leonidas gave a final kick to the ball only a golden shadow could be seen which then dissipated. As the ball raced towards the goal it began to turn upwards and ended up bouncing off the top of the goal with a thud.
Standing silently, Yukimura stared at Leonidas without blinking whilst Mika ran up to the green-haired boy and complimented him.
“That was an excellent first attempt Leonidas, however it seemed that your initial kicks lacked horizontal velocity. If you rectify this, it shouldn’t be long until you can use ‘Panther Blizzard’”
Leonidas looked upwards at Mika and cocked his head in confusion. He had intended on mimicking all of the steps that Yukimura had shown but the ball had told him to do it differently…
Finally speaking up, Yukimura put one hand on Leonidas’s shoulder while saying
“Leave him be, let the kid do what he wants”
Not understanding him but not wanting to dispute it with him, Mika nodded with furrowed brows hesitantly. Walking away, Yukimura signalled for the girl to follow him with his right index finger leaving Leonidas by himself who was still staring at the goal lost in his own thoughts.
“You didn’t strike me as the reckless type Kuroha-san”
“Please clarify your meaning by that, Yukimura-san. I am unable to understand such vague wording.”
“The only reason I intervened just now was because I didn’t want to see such talent going to waste. While you may have had good intentions, how can someone who has no reason to play soccer teach someone else how to enjoy soccer? If you weren’t careful you could have ended up breaking the kid”
Hearing this, Mika had to admit to herself that she had been irrational in forcing Leonidas to train with her. If her mother were here…
Shaking her head as she attempted to pull herself together, Mika looked downwards with a touch of regret in her eyes while Yukimura patted her shoulder gently and whispered as he walked away.
“Giving a man dying of thirst a drop of water is more cruel than giving,he, who had no expectations of survival, nothing. It’d be good of you to think about that Kuroh,a-san”
Grinding her teeth as she ruminated on his words, MIka called out to the striker before he could leave.
“Please wait, Yukimura-san!”
Running to catch up to the man, Mika watched as Yukimura paused and turned his head backwards to face her.
“Yes, Kuroha-san?”
“Please…what is your reason for playing soccer? You said I had none… What motivated you to pursue a professional career in soccer? Just what is the difference between you and me?”
“......”
Placing his bag down, Yukimura’s teal eyes stared directly into her purple eyes as he answered simply.
“I would think it would be obvious to someone of your intelligence. I’m talented, it’s fun and I can make a living off of it. Do I need any other reason for it? It’s best not to overthink these things Kuroha-san.”
There it was again! That ‘fun’ everyone else spoke of! It infuriated Mika that such a simplistic answer continued to elude her understanding.
Seeing that the girl gave no reply, Yukimura shrugged and picked up his bag. Deciding to give her one final piece of advice, he yelled over his shoulder as he turned away.
“I can tell by looking at you, you’ve probably never had a single day of fun in your life so do your best to figure it out! I’m sure you’ll find a reason eventually. Cya.”
Leaving the black-haired girl behind him, Yukimura made eye contact with Aphrodi who raised an eyebrow and met him before he could leave.
“Leaving so soon?”
“I was planning on relaxing during my vacation but I think I’ll head to Germany soon.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Smiling such that his eyes were unable to be seen, Aphrodi crossed his arms thoughtfully as if this was surprising news. Seeing this, Yukimura rolled his eyes and replied
“You bastard. I know you and Tsukishiro-san only invited me to see the little monsters you’ve been raising this year.”
“I’m pleased you think so highly of my players, Yukimura-san.”
“You’re becoming more like Kidou-san by the day Aphrodi-san”
Combing his hair with his fingers, Yukimura simply walked away while waving goodbye to Aphrodi who had already turned back to the field as the two parted ways silently.
Later That Evening, Hakuren Mountains
ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!
Boom
Evading the fragments of exploded rock that came flying at her, Mika tossed the towel and light windbreaker that she had brought with her to the blue-haired Eisei captain who was panting heavily.
Grunting her a thank you, Seiryuu eyed the girl who was staring at him as if he had lost a few screws while putting on the jacket and decided not to say anything. Knowing her personality, she’d immediately begin scolding him for one reason or another.
“I see you’re still training as I predicted Seiryuu…”
Pausing, Mika brought out her phone from her jacket pocket and turned it around so he could see the time on her lock screen which was the simple default screen that came with the phone.
22:30
It was already this late? Night came early to Hakuren so Seiryuu was used to training much later past dark but he was surprised that it was already 22:30. Knowing what was coming, Seiryuu spoke up at the same time as Mika who had a rather cross expression on her face.
“It’s critical for players to get an adequate—
“Amount of rest and sleep for optimal efficiency during practice, I know, Mika.”
“If you knew, you’d be back at the hotel by now preparing for sleep.”
Thinking he could somehow make the annoying lecture go away, Seiryuu waved his hands futilely in her direction making Mika roll her eyes with exasperation.
Attempting to turn the tables on her, Seiryuu recalled earlier in the day when he saw Mika playing around with some short, green-haired kid from Hakuren.
“I saw your training today Mika. You weren't focused enough. If I recall correctly, I believe a certain someone was telling me they were going to get stronger and face me in the Finals…”
Knowing what he was talking about, Mika shifted around with a touch of nervousness while explaining.
“His name is Leonidas, and he has potential as a soccer player. Naturally I was curious and wished to investigate a little bit, that was all.”
“......”
Sighing, Seiryuu leaned back where he was sitting so that his back was now resting on the slope and looked to his left where Mika was touching her lips like she always did when she was uncomfortable.
Mika was always like this…
“You just can’t help yourself from being nosy can you?”
“And what do you mean by that Seiryuu?”
“Nothing”
Seeing that the older boy had closed his eyes and showed no intention of answering her question, Mika narrowed her eyes with suspicion before deciding to move on knowing she wouldn’t be getting answers tonight. Closing her eyes as well, Mika’s thoughts drifted back to Yukimura’s words from earlier in the day.
“How can someone who has no reason to play soccer teach someone else how to enjoy soccer?
“I spoke to Yukimura-san today.”
“.....”
Hearing no response from Seiryuu who was resting his eyes, Mika wasn’t discouraged and continued speaking aloud to herself.
“He informed me upon my inquiry that even he simply plays soccer for ‘fun’ and that I was ‘overthinking’ it. Frankly, the contrast between your two answers was rather baffling to me…”
Opening his left eye lazily while Mika touched her lips carefully, Seiryuu yawned and answered
“That’s why someone like him is bound to be devoured by me, there’s a difference between someone aiming for the top and someone who settles with mediocracy.”
Raising an eyebrow at the shameless and bold answer, Mika looked at him dubiously. Seiryuu had answered so confidently that she was almost convinced and thought back to the news reports that she had seen last year.
“Is this the answer of the MVP of last year’s FFI?”
“Don’t remind me about that meaningless garbage. I already told you winning is the only thing that matters…”
An unsurprising response considering it was coming from Seiryuu.
After winning the Holy Road Championship with ease last year it was only natural that the Four Celestial Guardians had all been selected as representatives of Inazuma Japan for the annual FFI but they had unfortunately lost to the surprise First Place Egyptian Team, The Sun Warriors, in the semi-finals due in large part to a lack of team synergy. Seiryuu’s performance however had been so well received that he was given the title MVP and Best Scorer, despite it being his debut tournament. Judging by his words just now however, it seemed likely the 3rd year was still bitter about their loss…
Tightening her right hand into a fist, Mika continued to feel the gap between her and Seiryuu. Despite the JYSA labelling them as the Rank No.1 and No.3 forwards in the nation this year, the difference between them was too large to imagine. If she wanted to work to bridge the gap between them it was clear she would need to sort out her current issue first…
Sighing, knowing too much anxiety was unproductive, Mika relaxed her body as she laid down next to Seiryuu who had gotten into a comfortable position where he could see the night sky and vivid stars that were unobstructed by light pollution. As a few minutes passed, hearing the wind rustle the trees and bushes beside them, Mika was beginning to enjoy the pleasant silence when she was surprised to hear Seiryuu interrupt the quiet.
“I'm surprised your little entourage of minions haven’t come to find you yet.”
“If you’re referring to the Raimon Eleven then they’re currently with your team and the Hakuren team doing some sort of Courage Challenge at the Abandoned Amusement Park.”
“Mmm”
Rolling her eyes at this, Mika decided to call out the blue-haired boy who was pretending to be nonchalant upon hearing her reply.
“You can stop pretending you didn’t know Seiryuu. You’ve always hated ghosts and dark places since we were children. Why else would I bother to come here?”
“?!”
Jumping up with a start, Seiryuu looked at Mika with alarm in his eyes, which had widened to the largest she had ever seen them, resembling a deer caught in the headlights. With the hair on his arms standing up, and trembling eyes this was the most unnerved she had seen him since they had reunited.
Also standing up, Mika attempted to walk closer to the blue-haired boy who backed up for each step she took.
“What’s wrong?”
Beginning to pant slightly, Sieryuu managed to spit out
“W-What did you just say?”
“That our teams are all at the Abandoned Amusement Park right now?”
“Not that!!”
“That you’re afraid of ghosts and the dark? If you’ve overcome your fear in the past 5 years then you don’t have to overreact, if you inform me I’ll simply update my profile of you. There’s no reason to—”
“MIKA!”
“......”
“Please just…”
Sensing that something was wrong, Mika stepped back and waited patiently while Seiryuu covered his face with his hand and continued to breathe heavily.
Finally collecting his bearings, Seiryuu looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and quietly asked her.
“You…you remember me?”
“Of course I do. I admit that I had some difficulty recognizing you after all these years, moreso because everyone had suddenly started calling you Seiryuu, but it became evident to me that you were the same person as before Tatsu—”
“Please Mika!”
Pausing, Mika looked at him with perplexment as Seiryuu lowered his head so she could no longer see his eyes. Reaching out to grab his windbreaker, Mika wanted to demand that he clarify the meaning behind his strange behaviour when he turned around and began walking back to the school silently.
Resting her hand back down along her side, Mika stood in the forest clearing while the wind began to pick up around her. Not sure of what had just happened, Mika continued to think about if she had said anything wrong but was unable to pinpoint where the issue currently lied. Brushing her pitch-black hair behind her ear, Mika slowly began to follow the path Seiryuu had taken to the school as the moon watched over her.
Next Day, Hakuren Hotel
Ugh.
After getting back to the hotel so late, Mika was only able to sleep for 6 hours and her body was feeling in slightly less optimal condition as compared to usual. Attempting to do some stretches, Mika walked downstairs and saw the familiar blue-hair that stood out in the eating area where breakfast was being served.
“Seiryuu!”
Calling out to the captain, Mika frowned as the older boy pretended he couldn’t hear her and continued to eat his breakfast with his siblings. Walking over to the table where Daigichi, Suzaku and Haruka were attempting to eat their breakfast without angering their brother who seemed to be on edge, Mika couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Seiryuu stand up, vacuum up the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and then rush out of the room before she could say another word.
Feeling an eyebrow begin to twitch, Mika looked downwards at the three Guardians who pretended they hadn’t seen anything and sighed.
“Would you inform your captain that I would like to have the chance to speak to him if the opportunity arises?”
Hiccuping out of nervousness, Daigiichi eyed his two sisters who shook their heads in warning and replied
“S-S-Sure Ojou-sama. HAHAHAHAHAHA”
Ignoring the strange laughter, Mika decided she couldn’t think on an empty stomach and walked over to get some food from the buffet.
A Few Hours Later
Humans are truly difficult to understand.
Coming to this conclusion, Mika let herself be swallowed up by the large bean bag in the hotel recreational room and resolved to ignore her worries for the time being. Despite numerous attempts to communicate with Seiryuu throughout the day, the older teen had deliberately continued to avoid her and Mika decided it was becoming a waste of energy to continue her efforts.
“Boy trouble?”
Mika reopened her eyes upon hearing the familiar voice call out to her and found the white-haired, ace striker of Hakuren with her trademark eye smile staring at her.
“Yes, how did you know? It’s highly unlikely you would be able to guess simply from looking at me considering the various reasons I could be resting in a beanbag, Tsukishiro-san.”
Tapping her cheek thoughtfully, Tsukishiro shrugged and simply gave her a smile while replying
“Woman’s intuition”
“......”
Unimpressed by the answer, Mika decided she was too tired to deal with the Hakuren co-captain right now and laid back in the bean bag that was surprisingly more comfortable than she had imagined it to be.
Grabbing Mika’s hand, Tsukishiro pulled the girl up who responded reluctantly.
“Go for a walk with me?”
Looking at the tall girl up and down, Mika ran the calculations in her head. It was the last day of their training camp so she didn’t have anything else planned until their bus came to pick them up and so Mika reluctantly agreed.
Stepping outside, Tsukishiro put her arms behind her back and tilted her head at MIka before asking.
“So, do you want to talk about it with Onee-chan?”
“No”
“Are you sure? Who knows, maybe I can help?”
Hearing these words, Mika gave a look of doubt at Tsukishiro while thinking it over. She had already put the business with Seiryuu at the bottom of her list of current concerns…but there was something else she was curious about.
“Tsukishiro-san.”
“Yes, Mimi-chan?”
“I have an inquiry for you, but I would like you to answer truthfully. Can you vow you will be veracious when you answer me?”
Pausing, sensing the change in mood, Tsukishiro’s smile turned into a slight frown and she looked at Mika carefully for a few moments. Turning so the Raimon striker could no longer see her face, Tsukishiro answered back.
“I can do that if…”
Unsure of what she was about to say, Mika braced herself for whatever Tsukishiro was about to say next.
“If you call me onee-chan!”
Inwardly facepalming, Mika began to walk back towards the hotel when Tsukishiro ran in front of her waving her arms frantically.
“Fine, fine fine! I’ll settle for nee-san! That should be fine right Mimi-chan?”
That was tolerable at least…
“Nee-san…”
Squealing in joy, Tsukishiro resisted the urge to hug Mika to death right then and there and waited eagerly for the rest of her request.
“Please inform me of your reason for playing soccer.”
Guiding Mika over to a nearby park, Tsukishiro skipped over to a bench where she patted for Mika to sit next to her and the two sat there silently for a moment while Tsukishiro stared upwards at a migrating flock of birds quietly.
As a few minutes passed like this, Tsukishiro turned her head once the birds had left and asked MIka
“Isn’t it wonderful how those birds can all travel together for such long distances? I would imagine there’s not a dull day for those birds when they have so many friends with them!”
Kicking her feet around, Tsukishiro’s ponytail whipped from side to side as Tsukishiro swayed her body on the bench before resting and looking at Mika.
“Would you like to hear the story of a friend of mine Mika?”
“No, why would—”
“I promised I’d answer your question, didn't I Mimi-chan? Just trust nee-san, okay?”
“Alright….”
Taking in a deep breath, Tsukishiro’s face softened as she began to speak.
“This is a story of a young girl and for as long as the girl could remember she was alone. She didn’t know who she was, where she was or how she got where she ended up but all her memories were in a pitch-black darkness. She couldn’t see anything, hear anything, smell, touch, feel. All she had was the darkness but since that’s all she knew, she was never scared and simply waited. Waiting, waiting and waiting.The girl continued to lie in the dark nothingness patiently…”
Looking quickly at Mika to make sure she was still paying attention, Tsukishiro’s snowflake earrings flashed under the sun as the older girl turned her head.
“The girl had no concept of time so years and years passed without her knowing as she waited for something to change her world of solitude. However, one day deciding that she had had enough of waiting, the girl decided she was going to leave the darkness that had been her home. Beginning her journey, the girl walked. Then walked some more. And then some more. She kept walking, not sure what she was looking for but she continued to walk because if she didn’t the darkness found her again and the nothingness took control once more.”
“The young girl continued to try to outrun the darkness but every time she stopped to rest, the darkness returned and once again, the girl found her senses, emotions and even sense of self stripped away. This cycle of walking and resting kept going until one day as the girl was travelling she saw a bright light shining to the north. The girl had never seen something so bright in her life before and was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.”
“Feeling this hypnotic attraction the girl couldn’t stop herself from running towards that light. Faster than she had ever moved her body before! Her feet began to bleed, but the girl didn’t care. It was the first time she had ever seen something that was different from the monotony of her normal life. No longer filled with dread each night, the girl ran and ran and ran until after many moons, she finally began to get closer to the light. The closer she got however, the more lights that showed up. With more and more lights popping up, the girl began to feel a warmth that was so different from the cold that had penetrated her bones every day since she was born.”
“Finally, one day she got close enough to touch the light and as the girl rounded the final corner of her journey she saw what was taking place in the light.”
“Can you guess what she saw?”
“Based on the context of the story, I would imagine your friend saw a soccer match for the first time.”
“It’s no fun if you guess correctly you know Mimi-chan! But that’s right! Finally getting close enough to see what was under the light, she saw people playing with a strange ball that she had never seen before. It was the sport that we now refer to as soccer…
I don’t think I have to explain the rest to you right Mimi-chan?”
Having played soccer since she was 4 years old, it was hard to imagine that soccer could be such an existence to someone, a light so bright it sustained their soul. Such a thing was simply inconvenicale to Mika and as she attempted to wrap her around the story Tsukishiro just looked at her while standing up and spinning around playfully.
“I’ll be heading back first then Mimi-chan, you can figure the way back by yourself right?”
“One more thing nee-san…”
“...?”
“If soccer is such an existence to you, then why do you play so whimsically? For instance, during last year’s Holy Road you only played for half of the matches Hakuren was in and I heard from Seiryuu that you play exclusively as a defender in the match against Eisei Gakuen…”
“I thought I told you Mimi-chan this was a story about a friend…But if you’re curious, well…”
Tapping her bottom lip with her index finger, Tsukishiro cocked her head to one side and answered lightly
“It’s fun to see Seiryuu get all riled up don’t you think? Honestly, guys like him need to learn how to lighten up! He’ll get wrinkles at this rate since he frowns all the time, jeez.”
Pouting her cheeks as if she were angry just thinking about it, Tsukishiro’s nonsensical reply left Mika speechless and she shook her head in disbelief. Upon further reflection, the answer seemed in line with Tsukishiro’s personality. Watching the older girl leave her behind after this, Mika continued to sit on the bench by herself while she observed passing pedestrians make their way through the path.
Feeling the cold wind blow through her hair, Mika finally stood up and began to make her way back to the hotel when she heard a familiar loud voice coming from a clearing a little ways off from the path.
“What the hell did you think you were doing! Who gave you permission to play soccer with that b***h? Do I need to remind you of what your place is?! You’re nothing! Nothing! If I hadn’t taken you in you’d still be searching in the garbage for scraps right now!”
“That’s enough, Katata-san”
Stepping forward, Mika moved her body to stand in front of Leonidas who was kneeling in front of the Hakuren defender who was staring daggers at her with his eyes.
“I was the one who requested for Tsujo-kun to train with me yesterday so there’s no reason to take your anger at him. Moreover, Tsujo-kun has incredible talent for soccer so you’re a fool for forbidding someone with his skills from playing on the team. I knew you lacked critical thinking skills and basic logic but I failed to realise it was to this extent.”
Hearing her words, Ryoga began to spit fire from his mouth while his red eyes began to glow with a wrathful ferocity.
“You…have two seconds to bow and beg for forgiveness Mika or else, bodyguard or no bodyguard. you’re dead.”
“As expected of a person whose intelligence is on par with australopithecus. It seems that violence is the only thing you can do when things don’t go your way. My mother has a saying for people like you Katata-san, ‘anyone who needs to resort to violence is irredeemable trash and needs to be tossed immediately’”.
“YOU FUCKING—”
“S-S-Stop please.”
Mika and Ryoga paused as a hoarse voice that sounded as if nails were being scratched on glass spoke up and interrupted the two. Trembling, Leonidas ran up and held out his arms defensively in front of Ryoga while his long green-hair flowed in all directions messily.
“What are you—”
Perplexed by the sudden movement from the boy, Mika backed away while Leonidas panted for a few moments while his bangs blocked his eyes from her vision.
“Katata-sama is not…a bad person.”
“.......”
“.......”
Hearing his words, Mika and Ryoga both quieted down as they stared at the short, trembling boy. Mika stared at him with confusion written over her face while Ryoga’s face darkened and had an undecipherable expression on his.
Turning around, Leonidas faced Ryoga directly, with the orange and red eyes meeting in the air. With no words being spoken by any of the three present, the tension in the air was palpable and oppressive but not one of them made a single movement.
Being the first to break the strange calm that had come over the clearing where they were standing, Ryoga turned away from Leonidas so that his back was facing the younger boy.
“Go”
“...?!”
Blinking his orange eyes with shock, Leonidas rushed forward to grab Ryoga’s jacket but the older teen slapped his hand away and Leonidas landed on his butt while holding his hand. Despite blood starting to emerge from a cut, Leonidas didn’t utter a single word of complaint and attempted to get up again.
“I said go away! Don’t you know what that means you idiot! Hakuren doesn’t need a weakling like you… I certainly don’t! So leave me alone…I don’t want to see your pathetic face ever again”
Sticking his hands into his pockets, with that, Ryoga walked away nonchalantly from the two. Wincing, Leonidas stood up shakily and attempted to follow but quickly fell again before being caught by Mika who had rushed in time to prevent his head from hitting the ground.
Holding the younger boy in her arms, Mika gave the Hakuren manager or ex-Hakuren manager now a worried look. Clearly in shock, his cheeks had flushed red and sweat was falling from his forehead. Putting her hand to his forehead, she could feel an immense wave of heat and she quickly got her phone out to call 119. While she was getting out her phone, she felt her hand get wet and took another look at Leonidas who quietly had tears streaming down his face.
Gripping her arm tightly, the young boy began to cry out softly
“Don’t…don’t go…please…”
Feeling a growing anger within her, she passed off Leonidas to the giant man who had come out from the shadows and motioned for her to hand him over.
“Thank you Kurosawa-san”
Thanking her bodyguard, Mika ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and waited impatiently for the ambulance to arrive.
It was time to make a few calls…