Sakka yazouze!

[Multi-muse RP blog for Inazuma Eleven]

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

Strike Up the Band

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

Fudou heard the kick of the ball and immediately whipped around to catch it with his chest and then place it under foot. “Kidou…” He scoffed with his typical smirk and dribbled the ball in place, “I wasn’t even aiming, Kidou.” He spoke mockingly, “It’s raining you know, you should be inside.” Although he was tempted to add more insults he restrained himself, just this once he could play nice with Kidou. He wasn’t sure what brought Kidou out here to search for him, after all if any two players had the most grudge against each other it was Kidou and himself. 

“What brings you on this side of the field?” His tone having a bit of bite in it, he was in no mood for Kidou and whatever snide remarks he might make. Untrustworthy or otherwise; after all being doubted for so long without even knowing what his motives were was enough to make you resistant toward someone. The rain beat down on the both of them and Fudou stood for a moment silent, staring down at the soccer ball that had landed at his feet. If he’d expected anyone to come out here calling for him it’d be that stupid try hard soccer freak Endou; not Kidou. 

“No but really, why are you out here?” His brows furrowed, rearing a leg back and kicking the ball fiercely toward Kidou.

[explosive-sakka]

Fudou might have tried to cover up his poor state, but there was no way he was unaffected by everything that happened. His words being all over the place proved that much, which angered Kidou even further. Just as his teammates all tried to break free from their chains linking to Kageyama, the recent events definitely disturbed their resolve. 

"I should be the one asking you." Kidou stopped himself from raising his voice. Even if they learned to trust each other on the field, tension never truly died between the two of them. The relationship with the team has greatly improved with each challenge that they overcome in the tournament, but with Kageyama's return, things seem to have severed.

Keeping a solid foot on the ground, he raised his knee to stop the ball, sending it high up vertically. As expected, Fudou's tone of voice certainly did not match the force of his attack. Before the ball could fall to the ground, Kidou kicked it right back. "The team is recovering from the match together. Why did you return here all by yourself?"

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

intoxicated

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

     Edgar smiled, he was still just the same. He laughed and brushed some of the blue hair from his face, shaking his head. “Still so cold! After I’ve flown all the way from England just to see you.” His accent was thicker than it had been on the island, it’d been awhile since he’d spoken anything other than English. The Japanese sounded strange when he said them and he could only be amused by it. He was surprised the other man could still understand what he was saying! 

“I guess I had heard about the drama circulating in Japan’s soccer these past few years and I was curious to see it for myself. It’s certainly strange to me to hear about regulated soccer matches. It is very different from what we played.”  He smiled in nostalgia, looking at the team that had begun to walk away from the two adults. When he suddenly paused, “Oh I’ve forgotten myself. Excuse me!” 

     With a sweep, Edgar took Aphrodi’s hand in his own and bowed, kissing the other man’s hand gently. That certainly captured the attention of passerby and soccer player alike. Restraining a small smile to himself as he moved away still in a bow. “Excuse my absence in communication, my lady. I’ve become a pro player since then and my schedule has left me very little time to myself.” He looked up with a dashing prince charming smile, for old times sake! 

[explosive-sakka]

Everything about the man was ridiculous and excessive. Yet, Aphrodi found himself secretly amused by his extravagance, as he often was in the past years they have been acquaintances. Against this type of person, all that he let out was a feint smirk.

"Hmph, that's unlikely. It hasn't been long since I was dispatched here. Under normal circumstances, I would be in a different region altogether." His exceptional employment at Kidokawa Seishuu did bring up a possibility to explaining Edgar Valtinas' presence in Japan.

"...I suppose it is no surprise that the news of the Fifth Sector's policy had reached even you." The coach's gaze returned to watch over the young players who were put under his care. This was truly an unfortunate era for soccer, but it was more of the reason to make sure the youths maintain their love for it. His train of thought was cut short when he felt his right hand being pulled forward.

"You--!!" Realizing what was happening, Aphrodi withdrew his hand as quickly as he could. It wasn't an unexpected event considering their history, which was more of a reason why he cursed himself for letting this happen in a moment of distraction. From the corner of his eyes, he had to make sure none of the children were witness of this scene, but... judging from the young captain's attempt to hide his overwhelmed expression, the worst has happened. "..." 

Without answering to the other man's excuse, Aphrodi gave up on him and went back to his previous preoccupation which was returning to his office. Even if he was pulling off an act rejection, the young coach was certain that Edgar would still follow along.

[explosive-sakka]

S.

[rpthings-blog]

Hearing her brother’s answer, caused a look of disappointment to appear on Haruna’s face. “O-Oh..” Shoulders slumped in defeat, fingers hastily brushing away some strands of hair, a habit she had when she was embarrassed. Well, that had been a complete failure. She had no idea why she had even asked him to eat with her in the first place. The young soccer manager knew he was always busy with stuff in his family, but it still hurt that it was his first priority.

I can’t complain anyways…She thought bitterly. Would that seem selfish of her to do? She could recall when her anger had gotten the better of her and she had yelled at her brother, accusing him of trying to ruin Inazuma Eleven’s match. How stupid had she felt when it had been the exact opposite.

That is, I have a good half hour before I do that. I’ll accompany you.

Kidou’s voice brought her out of her little slump, face brightening. “W-Well..I would like that!” It wasn’t what she wanted, but it was better than nothing. She was just glad he would accompany her. With a little nod, she followed after the other male, her spirits brightening up.

[explosive-sakka]

To see his sister smile certainly made his heart feel lighter. Kidou was at least glad that Haruna shared his feelings. After dropping off all the heavy equipment back into their place in the storage room, the midfielder quickly joined the manager who was waiting for him right nearby. 

So far, there was an improvement, but the initial issue was still not solved. When not knowing what subject to bring up, Gouenji advised him to listen, though... in this case where Haruna had yet to say anything, was it up to him to initiate the process of communication? A few more seconds passed and all there were were the sounds of their footsteps. Come to think about it, as a man, wasn't it wrong to put the burden on the girl?

"It's the first--"

Too late. Haruna has already begun speaking and the clumsy brother accidentally cut her off. 

'I messed up...!' 

It wasn't as if Kidou never talked to his sister either. Every now and then, he would give her updates about the training or the matches, but he was conscious that  soccer was always used as the excuse. Even so, whenever he did talk to Haruna on screen, he would always walk away and leave her be right after exchanging the short words. 

Though his inside was in turmoil, his face still displayed that ever-composed expression. "I'm sorry, you were saying?"

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

intoxicated

     Edgar took a deep breath, he’d never really been to Japan; the air here almost smelled different. The brisk morning air creating an exciting atmosphere as he walked the streets of Inazuma; he recognized absolutely nothing.  To be honest he wasn’t even sure why he was here, the man he was searching for didn’t live here. At least he didn’t think so. He laughed a bit to himself, remembering the times they spent on that small soccer island. Edgar spent all his energy training and chasing after a boy he had believed the longest to be a woman. Now he barely spoke to him if at all because of being a pro soccer player; right now even he was simply on a short vacation. A vacation which he chose to stride down memory lane through the streets of the team that had so thoroughly defeated him and his team.  

Edgar stopped when he heard the sounds so familiar to him, children playing soccer in a field by a river bank. He watched them closely as they practiced various techniques or even imitated the ones of famous players. Including himself evidently! He laughed softly until he felt a group of players and coach brush by him. Turning around out of curiosity when he saw the blonde hair of one he had chased for a few months. 

“Aphrodi—” He called out instinctively, but what if it wasn’t him? He swallowed his voice and took bold strides forward, reaching out a hand and gently touching the man’s shoulder. “Excuse me— could you be—?” 

[explosive-sakka]

There wasn't much time until their match against Raimon in the Holy Road. The days until the finals were counted and Aphrodi had to do everything in his power to revive Kidokawa Seishuu... to help its proud players get back up on their feet. So far, the results were promising: as the children came to find a truce with each other, their teamwork gradually returned. All that was left to do was to maintain and improve that fluidity as well as continuing to polish their individual skills.

"Good work, everyone." The coach called out to the team before they parted. "We have progressed tremendously, but let us never forget our goal. I will be counting on you to keep up with your performance. Well then, I will see you tomorrow." The children all bowed at the teacher and reaffirmed their agreement. The group moved together, ready to return home, but a light tap on the shoulder momentarily stopped him from joining them. He expected to find another school staff, but the sight that he was greeted with left him speechless.

'Excuse-me, could you be...?'

After these simple words, the Englishman's voice hung with a certain hesitation. Truthfully speaking, Aphrodi was also taken by shock, but he refused to let the signs show.

"..." The coach took a single deep breath and remained silent. What was he doing here? The taller man was supposed to be on the other side of the planet and yet, he was currently right in front of him, in Inazuma town. It has also been quite a while since he received any news from the other... 

"Long time no see. I did not expect you to be here."

[explosive-sakka]

S.

[rpthings-blog]

“Yea, Endou-kun told me about it, and he was being a little overdramatic, but..” Trailing off, she shrugged it off with a smile. “It’s aimed to help the team get stronger, so I know it will help in the long run.” If Haruna herself had been a coach, she would of done the same thing.

“Ahh..Thanks again for helping me out, onii-chan. It usually takes me a while to put everything back in order, and I’m the only one here today..” It was frustrating that Fuyuka and Aki had left somewhere, leaving her with most of the grunt work and without a reason for their disappearance.

They were managers too, and they did help out just like she did, but it still felt like she was taking on more than she could handle. She would of said something about it, but that would of looked childish on her part. Fiddling with the clipboard, she checked it over, and once everything seemed to be in place, she slid it underneath her arm, giving her older sibling a grateful smile.

“After we’re done with this, do you want to go and eat ramen at Rairaiken with me?” There was a hint of shyness within her question as she averted her eyes for a brief second. Why was she acting like this now, so suddenly? It was silly! It wasn’t as if she was asking a boy out (although if she did that, he would of probably flipped his shit), it was only her brother. Then again, this sort of action would be considered normal. They were related by blood, yes, but they had barely been re-united a while back, so Kidou felt like more than a mere stranger. She wanted to fix it.

[explosive-sakka]

"Hah, overdramatic isn't just how I would describe Endou. We're aiming for the world after all." The chance to face the world and realize their abilities to the fullest, anyone would lose sleep at the thought. A lot of pride and excitement came into play, but a certain anxiety was also there. No matter what, he couldn't let a few personality clash ruin their soccer.

"Eh? Um..." Haruna's invitation caught him by surprise. At most, he thought he could only score a short conversation, but this could indeed help them get to know each other more. If they left quick enough, they could probably catch up to Endou and the others at Rairaiken... Though, the reason why he refused their invitation in the first place was because he did not have enough time to hang out too long before needing to head home for an important meeting with his father. Were he to refuse his sister's invitation too..? 

"I'm sorry, I'll have to... head home early today." That was simplest version of his situation that he could give her. It was an accepted reality that they were to remain with their respective adoptive families, but the subject of his life with the Kidou's was something that he has always hesitated to share. Deep down, Kidou still wanted the siblings to live under the same roof, but respecting Haruna's wishes was his utmost priority. The fact that, at one point, he selfishly attempted to arrange her fate was still a great source of guilt.

"That is, I have a good half hour before I do that. I'll accompany you." Kidou spoke with more enthusiasm this time. With his free hand, the boy grabbed the other bags and headed for the storage room. The sooner they finished all this duty, the more time they could benefit from.

[explosive-sakka]

S.

[rpthings-blog]

Closet full of supplies? Check. energy drinks and towels in stock? Check, as well. A pencil was currently being twirled around dainty fingers as she check marked each box down the list on the paper that she had. As manager for Inazuma Eleven, the teen had to make sure everything was in order, right down to the last first aid kits as well as organizing strategies on how to get stronger against upcoming matches.

Haruna, do you need help?

The sound of her brother’s voice pulled her away from her daze, as she lowered her clipboard. She blinked, blinked again, before beaming brightly. “S-Sure!” Wow, this was really out of nowhere. Her brother was always busy with soccer, so he never had much time to spend with her. Take into account their 6 year separation, and that also added more trouble than it was worth.

Even though the two had just recently been reunited, Haruna felt very awkward around him at times. He didn’t really act like how a big brother was supposed to, but she never blamed the male for it; Haruna knew that she had to be patient.

She figured her waiting had paid off - knowing that he was taking the initiative to deepen their bond, made her chest swell with happiness.

“Onii-chan, do you think you can check in the back over there?” She hummed, while pointing behind her shoulder. “Some of the practice cones are kind of all over the place, so I would appreciate it if they were put back in their bag.” Placing a hand on her hip, she huffed softly. “Endou-kun and the others all rushed out of here to go and eat ramen at the usual place and just left a mess here.” Shaking her head, she fixed her glasses on her head, as she shuffled forward, letting her eyes roam around, occasionally ticking off a box. “How was practice? I had some stuff to do earlier, so I really didn’t see any of it.” Talking with her brother always made her feel relaxed.

[explosive-sakka]

"Sure, I'll take care of it." His answer was prompt and decisive. Immediately, Kidou put down his bag on the bench with care and then walked over to the designated area.

This reminded him that his teammates would usually throw their bags around without looking back, but it was something that he couldn't ever bring himself to do. The boy liked to have his effects neat and clean, and that was enough reasons why his friends would often accuse him of being too strict. It was never a bother, though... did Haruna think so about him too?

As he piled up the cones and retrieved the remaining equipments, Haruna's voice reached him again. The midfielder let out a chuckle at the mention of Endou and everyone going for ramen... since this should be their fifth run this week already. When the girl asked about practice, he gave no much sign of hesitation but a few seconds of silence.

"Um, we're doing what we can to improve our coordination. To have this many members from Raimon in Inazuma Japan certainly makes things easier. The new members also look promising..."

'...but when you can't trust all your players, it's unnerving.' That was a thought that couldn't be said aloud. Among the new members, it was a pleasure to be reunited with Hiroto, Midorikawa and Hijikata. Tobitaka's level was oddly subpar, but at the representative match, he witnessed a rare skill which was probably the potential that Coach Hibiki wanted to bring out. Toramaru was an extremely promising player, though he agreed with Gouenji about there being a certain restraint in his play. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses but as a team, they could all work to improve together... That would have been the ideal but there was one more, one more member that made his blood boil no matter what he did.

In front of his sister, Kidou preferred to brush these troubles aside. "Well, Coach Kudou's training regime doesn't cut us any slack. It is efficient however. It's really no wonder everyone fled to Rairaiken after practice."

With his duty done, he zipped the sports bag containing the equipments and returned to the bench. "Ready? I'll carried these for you back to the storage room too." The elder brother offered, referring to the other stock she was counting. 

[explosive-sakka]

S.

'When that happens, I just listen to what she says. Yuuka likes to talk, and I think Otonashi does too, right?'

To listen, that was the simple advice that Gouenji gave him during that special training camp and the words would loop in his mind whenever he met with Haruna. However, Kidou rarely ever had the chance to implement that strategy. The Kidou family taught him rigorously on leadership in the business world and thus far, he  accomplished all the given assignments perfectly... and yet, the boy often found himself lacking initiative when having to deal with his sister.

But today... things will change.

"Alright, time to try this." Kidou whispered under his breath, a way to boost his courage. Once soccer practice was over, he quickly packed up his belongings and rushed to find the girl still at her manager duties.

"Haruna, do you need help?" Simple and casual, what's a better way to initiate a conversation?

[rpthings-blog]

Sakka!!

[rpthings-blog]

Bouncing with excitement, she jogged towards the training field, giving her and the male some distance apart for their little game. Once the ball had been rolled to her, Haruna quickly stopped it with her foot, aiming a big grin towards Sakuma’s direction. “Hai!” She chirped, while saluting the eye-patched boy in a silly motion.

As soon as the two started, the young girl quickly got better and better at it, quiet laughter escaping her lips as they relaxed in the motion of passing the ball back and forth. “You know..” She started, while brushing some hair away from her face. “..I sometimes wonder about..well.. actually joining and wanting to play soccer for real, but..” Scratching her cheek, she sighed. Knowing her brother, of course he would of been extremely pleased to hear this, but she had a feeling he would not want to risk her getting hurt in matches, which usually happened.

“I guess being a manager is what I’m good at. I always wanted to do my own hissatsu technique. You and onii-chan and the rest of the soccer players are really cool.” She commented, placing her foot on top of the soccer ball. After lifting it up in the air with her foot, Haruna began to bounce it between each knee, gracefully twirling around before she continued. She’d seen her sibling do this trick a few times and after watching him practice, it had been easy to re-copy without minor difficulties. It was amazing how easily she was able to remember and master things with just seeing it a few times.

She truly was Kidou’s sibling. Once she was done, she let the ball come to a stop behind her feet, a little out of breath. “If Sakuma-kun wants to practice now, you can. Don’t mind me! I had fun playing with you.”

She made herself comfortable in a bench nearby that was sheltered by the sun, as she took sips from her water bottle. “I promise that I won’t tell anyone about the training you will do. Not even onii-chan.” She had a suspicion that the male wanted to try out that move, and it worried her that he would get hurt again like he had the first time. He is probably trying to do the hissatsu technique that doesn’t kill his body in the process..like in that one match..She sent a firm look towards Sakuma, hands on her hips. “If you start experiencing pain of any kind, tell me, okay? I’ll be ready with the first aid kit.” And with those words solid, she quieted down, hands folded on her lap.

[explosive-sakka]

"Oh? That should be interesting. It's never too late to join a girls soccer team. I'm sure Kidou would would love to teach you-- Oh!" Sakuma made a short pause to hurry and stop the next pass that was sent too high with his chest and then kicked it back right before it could drop to ground level. "Well, he is a little strict when it comes to training, but... you'll still have the best teacher there is." Technically, it was more than just 'a little' but certainly, the ex-captain would at least go easy on his sister.

As simple as their kick and pass game was, Sakuma did not mind doing this little exercise with Haruna. It turned out to be an effective way to calm himself down from the built up stress and he was secretly thankful for it. Their game continued on for a few more minutes until the girl gave her signal to stop. That, he didn't mind either, but what caught his attention was the way she approached it.

I promise that I won’t tell anyone about the training you will do. Not even onii-chan. If you start experiencing pain of any kind, tell me, okay?

The manager did not mention anything explicitly, but the keywords made him uneasy. Could it be that she... knew? It was impossible as it was a secret that he did not admit to even Kidou. --No... It was exactly because Kidou was his closest friend in Inazuma Japan that he couldn't bare to tell him anything.

The soccer ball was only below his foot, but how should he even move next? 

"It's just... frustrating. Demonio Strada succeeded in making it his own while I..." The forward mumbled on his words with his head hung low. That was his attempt to let out a part of his anger, but it was short lived. He quickly fell silent. The manager might have witnessed his fate after he joined Shin Teikoku, but that was all she really knew about him, or at least, that was what he figured. It wasn't worth explaining any further or making her worry any more. 

In a sudden, Sakuma broke from his stillness and kicked the ball straight into the goal. A meaningless kick, a vent for his frustration and disappointment... 

Refraining from making any eye contact with Kidou's sister, the boy only walked forward to exit the field, himself. "Sorry manager, I can't do this after all."

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

Gouenji was almost a silent observer as Touko took charge of the situation, glancing off to the side and wondering how this happened. He only wanted a single present and now it seemed they had a whole search party for a single toy, he could find it by himself but it would be rude to refuse her enthusiastic efforts. 

“I suppose this island is big enough to have more than one toy store for the people that live here…” He agreed albeit reluctantly, a high energy search wasn’t what he really wanted but such was life. “Do either of you have any ideas on where to go or should we just head out at random?” He asked with a small sigh and a light smile. 

[explosive-sakka]

Oh the woes. Hiroto was talking calmy to his comrades and he assumed that their unplanned time together would sail smoothly from there on, but alas. Out of the blues, he was suddenly pulled by the arm and dragged away before he could speak another word. 

"Wha-- Wait-- Eh?" The prisoner turned around, hoping to catch if Gouenji understood what was going on and/or if he would come to his aid. He could not say if he was used to this type of contact or not. In the recent years of his life, proximity was something that was forgotten among his family, but at the same time, he was used to the rough plays on the soccer field. Eventually, the pink-haired girl was forced to halt as the next stop had yet to be decided.

"There's a bus stop right here and I believe that it leads to the America's Area," the boy remarked as calmly as he could. As a side note, he added, "Um, Touko-san, your hand..."

[rpthings-blog]

Sakka!!

[rpthings-blog]

Her head tilted to the side at his words, lips pursed and face confused. What the heck did he mean by that? It took a minute to click in, cheeks flaming red. “Eh? Why would you get in trouble with onii-chan? Mouu hes way too overprotective of me.” Hands on her hips, she huffed. It was true. Whenever she went out with Aki and the others, Kidou usually always got really fussy like a mother would.

He asked too much questions about school, about boys - It was really embarrassing. She knew it was his own way of showing he cared since their 6 year separation. It could be overwhelming at times, but she still loved her big brother. It still didn’t make sense why he would be on Sakuma like that. Maybe it was because it would of made it seem as if the two were close? Brushing it off with a nonchalant wave, she fumbled forward. “Don’t worry so much.”

She perked up at his words, arms lowering. “Play with you? That sounds fun! But..” Glancing down to her clothes, she flushed red. “I don’t really want to get these smelly and sweaty.” Arms crossed over her chest, her face brightened soon enough. “Ah! I remember something. Just wait here, okay?” With a giggle, she turned around and bounced forward, disappearing into the little room where most of their soccer equipment was kept. It wasn’t soon that Haruna came back out, wearing new clothes.

The yellow shirt was one of the uniforms, in actuality was her brothers, and instead of pants, she choose to wear the red panties like clothes they wore in gym. Cheeks red, Haruna scratched at her cheek. “I know this isn’t..appropriate clothes to wear for soccer, but..I can’t seem to find his shorts. Ah, this is onii-chan’s shirt. I went ahead and took it to the dry cleaners today earlier this morning and forgot I had it with me.”

With a sheepish grin, she twirled on her feet, showing off. “How does it look? Nice, huh?”

“Ne, lets play Sakuma-kun!” Running over, she latched onto the male’s arm, smile never faltering. “Please be gentle, I am just a manager, after all~”

[explosive-sakka]

The girl spoke a few words, moved left and right, and suddenly, she was gone. Sakuma was considered to be a decently fast player and while he could follow her moments, he had to stop and wonder if he would be able to catch up with her quirks. Then again, he supposed this and that were different situations, but if everything could be solved with soccer, ah, how much easier could life be?

While waiting for Kidou's sister to come back, Sakuma began juggling with the ball, making it bounce up and down on the flat side of his foot. It was a simple exercise that he probably ignored too much. Every day, the typical training consisted of mastering the heavy plays to go against the impenetrable walls that the team often found themselves fighting against in the tournament. It was to the point that he almost forgot how enjoyable the simple soccer, one that a beginner could easily enjoy, was. Even so, his mind was still at unease. After doing a little training with Haruna, he planned to challenge his limits against the forbidden move from another angle, but he still was not certain on how to approach it.

Suddenly, the manager's voice brought him back to earth from his dark cloud and--

"Ah... ..." Sakuma was left speechless for a moment. He recognized the number on the shirt. That is, the shirt was fine, but it was slightly too big for her and the few seconds he spent doubting whether she was wearing pants or not worried him. It was not as if he never faced a female adversary before either. If his memory did not fail him, Touko was the last one he fought against, though it became a lot clearer now how different the two girls' auras were. Oh well, a gym uniform was still a gym uniform.

"Um!" He nodded, returning his attention to the soccer ball. Dropping it to the ground, he gave it a strong kick towards the goal, though slightly off course. The ball that Haruna shot earlier inside the goal was what he was aiming for. The flying ball hit its target, making it roll slowly towards Haruna after the impact, then ended its course by hitting the metal post and bouncing back to the soccer player's arms.

Perfect.

"Ready?" He signaled after the girl had retrieved her ball.

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

Strike Up the Band

     A soccer ball spiraled into the goals net with ferocious power, it was raining outside so no one was on the field today. At least not at this time of day, he panted as he grabbed another ball and kicked it into the net. Each time with a stronger kick until finally he lost his footing and slid onto his back. In a fit of rage he lifted a fist and slammed it into the mud; Fudou glared up at the darkly lit skies as lightning trailed across it like cracks in a mirror. 

Maybe Kidou was able to mindlessly forgive Kageyama for what he’d done to only everyone ever for healing some… random blind girl… but Fudou was different. One good deed didn’t make up for the life time of manipulation or even the short few months he, himself, was manipulated. Fudou stood back up and ignored the rain pelting against his skin and dribbled the ball, there was no doubt that the Inazuma eleven had changed his life radically but that didn’t magically make everything better for him. “What a load of—” He paused in mid-kick as one of the more important memories appeared in his mind. ”I trust Fudou!”  

“—Shit!” He kicked the ball at full force again and rolled his eyes. That fucking kid, he was really the worst. He rushed forward headlong into everything and anything without complete forethought and he would foolishly trust anyone. Fudou sighed, his awful mood ruined by Endou’s stupid face. Friends were dumb, they were dumb! As much as he hated only everything else, this fucking team of idiots…!

“They really do make you go soft huh…” He mumbled, he should probably get out of the damned rain after all. Before he got sick and couldn’t play soccer at all, he was already on the bench more often than he liked. That’s what happens when you’re the trump card he guessed. 

He did know that if he was going to get stronger enough for revenge that Inazuma was the best place to be; surprisingly enough considering how carefree they are. “They’d be lost without me anyway.” He shot the ball into the goal for the last time before turning around to start heading home.

[explosive-sakka]

At the lodge, every member has already been accounted for, save for one... the only one who never did anything as regulated. On normal times, Kidou would have paid it no heed, but considering the recent events, he needed to make sure the team was still together, especially the ones who were part of Teikoku. Even when Fudou was now a teammate trusted by all, that boy insisted on acting his own ways without leaving a word to anybody... as usual. Some habits were harder to break than most, but that was even more the reason for Kidou to worry.

The first place that the ex-Teikoku captain rushed to was the field, as typical as it was. He knew no better way for one so similar to him to burn off his anger. With everything happening so fast, he himself had trouble finding a peace of mind. As he kept running against the rain, a different noise began to mix with the sounds of his panting and heavy footsteps on the mud. There were repetitive sounds of a ball being kicked, being hit against a metal post...

'As I thought...' Running past the chain-linked fence, he finally found the one he was looking for, but he had yet to be noticed. As he kept a watch on the other's crude movements, all of the next moves became transparent. Stress, chagrin, fury; all these emotions were obvious in his play. Anticipating an incoming shoot, Kidou dashed out towards the goal. Kicking the ground, he propelled himself forward to incepted the shoot mid-air and kicked it right back at the sender.

Landing on his feet, the midfielder then stood up straight before the goal. The other was soaking wet and covered in dirt, but that was still not enough reason to let him go so easily.

"You missed, Fudou!!" 

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

     ”I’m sure. There isn’t one that caught my eye here that she would like…” Gouenji was very particular in what he would get for sister Yuuka, even when she was in the hospital he would choose everything carefully. She was highly important to him, obviously, as he would have been willing to give up playing soccer just for her sake. Gouenji watched as Hiroto took to one of the hand puppets, staying silent and listening as he spoke of his time at the Sun Garden. He was deeply empathetic to family situations, but at this time he thought it was best to leave it. He didn’t want to ruin Hiroto’s moment, so he waited until he was addressed to speak again. 

     ”If you’d like to, I’m sure she’d be excited to receive a present from one of my teammates.” He offered a small smile and a nod, though he was going to keep a watchful eye of what Hiroto chose. He didn’t want to give Yuuka a present she wouldn’t like or was too much for her, or if it had too many pieces or just… well… he would just let Hiroto pick. It was fine, he didn’t believe Hiroto had terrible taste; that he knew of anyway. As he dwelled on this for awhile and he was only brought  back to attention when he heard a girl’s voice approach him.

     ”Oh… Touko…” He was a little surprised to see her in this part of the store, she seemed too… masculine… to be in this part of the store. He’d never really seen her do anything especially girly like say, Rika or the managers; honestly he nearly considered her one of the boys. Gouenji didn’t say so though, he knew women could be easily offended by such things so he brushed her presence off. “Ah yes, I’m shopping for my younger sister Yuuka. Hiroto was going to pick something for her as well—” She reminded him so much of Endou, very high energy and enthusiastic about anything and everything. He smiled softly and nodded, “You’re free to. I wasn’t really having trouble though…” Gouenji wouldn’t refuse her offer. 

[explosive-sakka]

Hiroto nodded, glad that his offer was accepted. Now the difficult part. They were looking for a gift for the little sister but seeing how things were turning out, it seemed like Hiroto will have to try and please the brother just as much.

Hearing a feminine voice coming their way, Hiroto put down the toys he held and turned to Gouenji's direction. Past his figure was another face that he knew well: Zaizen Touko, the vice-president's daughter and a skilled defender.

"Ah, Touko-san." The boy greeted simply. "It seems we're both here to help out Gouenji-kun after all." It was quite the coincidence that while the team was completely dispersed throughout the town, the three of them ended up in the same place. The Inazuma team has always been one with mismatched characters after all.

"If this place doesn't have what you're looking for," Hiroto continued. Since the ideas here were already burned out, they might as well head out to the next stop. "...what do you say we visited the shops in the other areas of the island? We might be able to find some novelties for your sister."

[rpthings-blog]

Sakka!!

[rpthings-blog]

Twirling around with a squeak escaping her lips, the cheeks on her face reddened darkly when she realized she had been seen. “S-Sakuma-kun!” Rubbing the back of her head sheepishly, the female bounded forward, giving a little shy smile. “Ah..something like that. Maybe you can help me train~?” She replied, while giving a small giggle of playfulness back. She took note of the clothes he was wearing, head tilted to the side. So hes going to practice even on a day off..I’m surprised Endou-kun isn’t here.

“I’m not as good as onii-chan and the rest of you, but..” Trailing off, she shrugged her shoulders. It was fun being able to kick a ball around by yourself when nobody was looking. “You know, you don’t have to be so formal with me. I don’t mind if you call me Haruna.” She considered every one of the team members a friend, even if she wasn’t close to them as she was with her sibling. “Are you going to be here all day..? Maybe we can hang out after you finish. Everyone should have a bit to relax. I would of been with Kidou, but he went off somewhere.” She grumbled, a pout forming on her lips. That was so like him to disappear.

“Do you mind if I watch you..?” She asked shyly, fingers brushing her skirt down. She had no idea why she was getting so flustered, shes always seen the guys practice before. She supposed it was because it was only one person, instead of the whole team.

[explosive-sakka]

Seeing Haruna's overwhelmed reaction, Sakuma gave her a polite smile as an answer. No matter the level of a person's skills, as long as they enjoyed soccer, there was nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Oh, that's fine. Who knows if that'll get me into trouble with Kidou one day. I'll stay with 'Otonashi' if you don't mind too much." The boy ended with a slight chuckle. He was actually a little surprised when the manager gave him the permission to call her by her first name. It was quite the unusual exchange, considering that he never interacted much directly with the managers. He has known several players in the team for quite a while, but it hasn't been all that long since he joined Inazuma Japan as a substitute. Haruna was his best friend's blood sister and that was as much as he knew about her... other than her occasional volcanic personality.

"Kidou didn't tell me anything about his plans for today, so I don't know where he ran off to either, sorry. As for me, um..." He paused, searching for a reassuring answer to say. Sakuma did not tell anyone that he wanted to try that move again, or at least find the key to do it without destroying his own body. It wasn't the sort of training he would want a person like her to see as it could become a little messy. "If you're up for it, I don't mind playing with you for a bit. I do plan on staying here all day anyhow, so my training program can wait."

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

Gouenji’s attention was brought to the familiar sound of his fellow if not recent teammate. He found he got along with Hiroto quite decently all things considered about their first encounters; it was nice to have someone more like himself on the team as opposed to the brightly colored personalities that Inazuma Japan’s team offered. 

He gave a curt nod before furrowing his brows with a softer expression than he usually wore he responded, “No of course not… I’m shopping for my younger sister, Yuuka.” With a non-chalant shrug he turned to Hiroto, “She’s been doing good with her studies so I was hoping buying her a present would encourage her to continue. I was just on my way out though, they don’t have what I’m looking for here.” He sighed then turned his attention back to Hiroto. 

“And you? I doubt you’re here for toys yourself…” He mused, though he supposed you would never know. After all, Megane bought a lot of dolls for himself— although they were anime and manga figurines; to Gouenji, there was no difference. Dolls were dolls. The point was, however, was that his teammates and friends were constantly throwing surprising things at him so he kept an open mind about these sort of things. 

[explosive-sakka]

"I see Yuuka-chan is a hard worker like her brother. I'm glad she's doing well." That's right... Hiroto still remembered Gouenji's story well. Back then, he used to receive the reports regarding him and his sister's situation regularly. Gouenji was a valued player that Aliea Academy intended to recruit but the means used to do so were not something that Hiroto was proud of. That's why words would never be enough to describe the gratitude that he felt when everyone that he hurt accepted him easily as a partner without a sign of doubt. 

The red head took his time to eye the items on display. The store had this wide selection to offer and it was still not enough to satisfy the other? To think that it took a random encounter at the toys aisle like this to find out that his teammate was nothing short of a highly protective and doting brother... At the thought, he let out a chuckle. The flame striker was known for his fierce looks, but he was also very warm inside. "Are you sure? Please don't hold back just because I'm here. I'm actually familiar with a few of these."

Hiroto then took a few steps into the aisle and stopped at the hand puppets. His expression softened as he picked up one. "I remember Reina had one like this. Ah... You probably knew her as Ulvida. Father used to bring us a lot of gifts at the Sun Garden, that's why..." 

Realizing how much he was rambling, he returned to his friend. "Do you mind if I picked one for Yuuka-chan as well?"

[rpthings-blog]

Sakka!!

One day when their coach had suddenly given them a free day, it had been surprising. He had stated that ‘they deserved it’ as they had been practicing nonstop for the last week. Haruna was more than excited - She would finally have a little bit of time to have fun and go out into town. It wasn’t like she hated being a manager, but it could get exhausting. Ontop of being a manager, Haruna also helped the team out by searching up information on who they would play against.

So a day to relax was more than welcomed. If that was the case, then why was she back in their empty training ground? I guess not even I can get away from soccer..she mused a bit.

Her fingers affectionately ran over a soccer ball that had been forgotten, which she picked up. “Maybe..” Trailing off, she edged out of the room and onto the field, taking a moment to glance around. The idea of being caught playing was a little embarrassing; especially since she wasn’t very good at it like her brother and his friends. Dropping it to the ground, the manager began to dribble the ball around like she remembered her sibling doing, hair billowing out behind her. The girl would stumble a little, but would regain her footing, movements getting more and more better.

“T-This is a little harder than I thought..” Her foot pressed onto it, eyes staring at the goal. I always did envy my brother and his friends..they are so cool..Rearing back, she kicked the ball, watching as it soared into the goal. It wasn’t very powerful, but it was evident that she could be a good soccer player like Kidou if given the chance.

[explosive-sakka]

"Hm... Well, that's certainly strange."

Despite this being a day off, Sakuma still decided to push himself just a little further and spend the day perfecting a few moves he had in mind. For that, he prepared a soccer ball and left it near the entrance before making a quick run to wash his face. However, when he returned, the ball was nowhere to be found. Perplexed, the boy kept looking all around and going back on his own steps like a dog chasing its own tail. Technically, it should be no big deal considering that there were a dozen more balls in stock, but for certain, he had it in his hands and left it right where he was standing just moments ago. Then again, knowing the personality of the other boys he lived with, one of them probably had the same idea and picked up the first ball in sight.

After finishing the last preparations, Sakuma finally headed out, dribbling with a new ball along the way. Now arriving at the field, he found the answer to his previous worry. However, unlike what he expected, the one in possession of the ball was not dressed in the same blue uniform as he was.

"Otonashi-san?" Luckily, the forward arrived just in time to witness the girl's shoot. He did not expect the managers to be expert players, but it was still pleasant to see that the ones who took care of the team still enjoyed the game themselves too.

"Heh... So you're out here training as well?" He asked jokingly.

[bakunetsu-screw-you-blog]

“Hm….” Gouenji hummed in thought as he stared down the face of his adversary… 

The toy aisle in the department store. 

Yuuka had been getting good grades in her math class and Gouenji thought it would be a good idea to get his younger sibling a present. Now that he was able to see her reaction, the choice of present became that much more important. Maybe he could ask a store attendant to help him choose a doll, which dolls do little girls like best? What would make her the most excited? It was a difficult decision. Gouenji closed his eyes in thought, ignoring the attendants and other shoppers staring at him with both confusion and curiosity.  “Maybe this one…” He opened his eyes with sudden inspiration, mumbling still as he reached out and grabbed a small teddy bear with a bright pink bow tied snug to its neck. He stared at it for a good five minutes before putting it back, “Its eyes are uneven…” He walked out of the aisle and decided perhaps a different toy store would be worth a look. 

[explosive-sakka]

It was one of the rare days where Hiroto was allowed to spend some time for himself. Before he joined Inazuma Japan, the routine that he was used to was one that prepared him to be at war at all times. If he weren't training with the fellow teammates from The Genesis, then he would be monitoring the enemy's movement...

The boy let out a sigh as he entered the department store. There was no point in brooding over old stories. Right now, he was an ally to Endou and the others. Every day was filled with passionate and energetic soccer, and he was thankful for all this. Supposedly, he deserved this day of rest, then he might as well enjoy it.

Hiroto moved towards the back of the store to pick up a few cold beverages, but a familiar sight stopped him midway. Peeking through an aisle, he found the ace striker of his team.

"Ah, you're here too, Gouenji-kun." Hiroto greeted the teammate. Truthfully, he was rather surprised to find him there, especially in this section of the store. All around were toys that flashed in pink. Despite the smirk on his face, his voice was low and kind as usual. "Not for you, I suppose?"