"The games over!!"
"That was a tight one, I seriously didn't expect him to go this big."
"Yeah, me too, this was a close one, they almost had it."
"Well, that's all for today. I hope we'll be seeing again in the next match." The commentator said as we all left the field.
*Dammit! Even after I tried being selfish with the ball.* I thought clenching my fists as we walked into the bus that'll take us back to our dorm.
The coach didn't speak to us as we went back to the dorm in silence.
"Kids." The coach started when we all went to the sitting room.
"Yes sir." We answered, the others were also feeling down.
"Come one now, don't be so sad."
*I thought he'd be annoyed with us.* I thought looking up at him.
"You guys performed badly, I expected more from you guys, but still... its not the end of the road, its just the beginning." He said trying to hide his smile.
*Your speech doesn't correspond with your look.* I thought.
*Looks like he's happy about something. Well, this game just shows how bad I am at this. I really don't wanna bring others down by being selfish.* I thought looking down.
"Come on you guys. You'll start your training again when everything's settled of not, I won't be training you guys."
"What should we settle?"
"You guys know for yourselves." He said walking out.
*Dammit, I failed myself.* I thought clenching my fists and walking up to my room.
No one else spoke, they all went to their rooms.
"Are you going to have a bath?" Akatsuki asked as we walked towards the bathroom.
"Yeah."
"Are you still feeling down cause of that?" He asked as I looked away.
"I mean, I was the reason we failed, I didn't want to pass the ball to the others even when they asked for it." I said as tears fell down my face.
"What the hell Atsu?" He asked pushing ne against the wall. "Why the hell are you talking like that?"
"I mean..."
"You did what you had to do, Atsu, us not winning wasn't your fault, you helped by scoring three super goals and giving instructions,don't think that you're the cause of it all, keep your head high, okay." He said as I nodded.
"Thanks." I said cleaning my tears.
*Is it really okay, to believe that I did what I had to? I feel like I didn't give it my all. I want to be better at this.* I thought as I dried my face.
"How's your leg now?" He asked.
"Oh, now that you talked about it." I said looking down.
"Does it still hurt?"
"Yeah, it hurts."
"Sorry 'bout that." He said as we walked into the bathroom.
When we walked in, we saw the other guys in there already.
"Hey." Koenji called as we walked in.
"Koenji, no wonder I didn't see you in the room, I really thought you went to kill yourself." Akatsuki said smiling.
The other guys just sat in the tub without talking to each other.
*They're all sad, well, fuck them all.* I thought sitting on a stool and washing myself.
"Again? This is the fifth day, won't they be having dinner with us?" Sugawara asked.
"Seems like they're not planning on joining us any time soon." Akatsuki said as I looked at the food on the table with the corner of my eyes.
*How long would they keep being stupid?* I thought sitting beside Akatsuki and grabbing my chopsticks.
"It doesn't matter, I just don't think it's good to keep preparing for them if they don't wanna eat." Koenji said.
"How's it going in your room, Misaki?" Ueta asked.
"We're not having any problems, it doesn't seem like she wants any problem."
"Then she should learn to not waste something I prepared." I said slurping down my ramen.
"Maybe she doesn't want others to get angry with her."
"I still don't get why we're still in bad terms with each other, aren't they sad that we lost the last match, it's been five days now." Koenji said.
*That's right, they're really getting on my nerves.* I thought as they all walked down the stairs.
"Oh, look who decided to show up." Akatsuki said.
"Looks like dinner's ready." Kimishita said drawing a seat out for himself.
"Can we please have a seat with you guys?" Akaji asked with a smile.
*Hmph.*
"It's your choice, if you want to then do so." I said without looking up at them.
"Thanks."
"It's been long since I had a taste of your food." Kimishita said smiling.
"You stayed strong, huh?"
When I finished my ramen, I stood up ready to go to the training room.
"Wait, Atsushi-kun." Akaji called as I looked at him with the corner of my eyes.
"Huh?"
"So, we wanted to apologize, we don't like the way we've been at odds with each other and we are hoping you guys feel the same." Akaji said.
*Looks like they took the first step, huh?"
"Wow, that's fine, we were also tired of that." Koenji said happily.
"So that settles it then." Akaji said with a smile.
"Not so fast." Akatsuki said suddenly dropping his bowl on the table.
"We've settled things, what else do you want?" Watabe asked.
"You guys apologized? Don't give me that, do you know what your so called quarrels caused, I don't really care about the match but Atsu has been feeling down cause of this."
"Huh? When did this suddenly become my problem?" I asked confused.
"And he got hurt, and the injury was caused by one of us, I let it go before cause he asked me to let it be but you guys are showing indifference." Akatsuki said suddenly sounding concerned.
"Akatsuki, let it go." I said trying to calm him down.
"You guys aren't even trying to be sorry, it just looks like Akaji forced you guys to come down while he apologise on behalf of you guys." He said as they looked away.
"Am sorry, okay. I've been thinking about this since and I'm also to blame for our failure to win, am sorry but I don't know whether he'll forgive me. Am sorry." Watabe said.
"Guys, am sorry too, if only I was able to stop their shots from going in." Koenji said looking down.
"Am also sorry for...
*This has become a pain in the ass, I really hate all these stuffs, making everything sound so emotional, what bullshit.* I thought gulping down a glass of water and standing up.
"You guys can just cut the crap." I said as they all looked up at me.
"Huh? What's wrong, Atsushi-kun?" Akaji asked.
"I'm sorry for this, am sorry for that, I've been listening to you guys and it's already getting annoying. We're all to blame for this. Instead of apologising and blaming ourselves, we should just grow stronger, we had our flaws, it's just for us to change for the better. We were weak in our last match, and that's why we lost. Let's train to ne better for all other matches. We've made our mistakes, it's left for us to learn from them." I said, my hands in my pocket.
*Ha, I talked too much.* I thought before looking at them.
"Huh? What?"
"Wow, cool captains words from someone who cried few days ago while blaming the whole thing on himself." Akatsuki said.
"Huh?!💢 don't go around saying things like that." I said as they all laughed.