"Fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven..."
"Oh, looks like Team C captain decided to come for practice earlier than the rest of us. Let me guess, you feel so pathetic that we are above you, right?"
"Sixty-two, sixty-three, sixty-..."
"Hey! Don't be a snob!!"
After practice for that day, I decided to run some more laps to avoid getting comfortable.
"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The loser from Team C, still trying to get stronger?"
"Hey, don't you think you're pathetic enough? Why do you keep drawing attention to yourself?" I heard a female voice ask as I stopped and turned around.
"Hmm?"
*Who's that again?* I thought looking confused.
"Hmph, I'm the Captain of Team Y, Minori, Ichiakawa Minori." She said.
"Oh, Ichikawa." I said nodding in agreement.
*I don't know anyone answering that name, I better just agree with whatever she's saying cause she looks like trouble.* I thought.
"You really don't remember me, do you?" She asked.
"A-haha, ha." I laughed while rubbing the back of my head.
"Tch, I'm from the same school with you dumbass." She said, looking annoyed.
*I'm sorry, I don't know anyone from my school.* I thought.
"You were always so pathetic, I wonder how you became Captain for your team. Well, it's obvious since you all are pathetic, too." She said with a smug smile.
"Oh, really..."
"Yeah, you guys also lost to Team T, although, yeah, they're really hard to beat." She said.
"They didn't lose?"
"Huh? How would they lose? They are by far better than any team I've faced, but I'm sure we'll bear them soon." She said as a smile crept on my face.
"Well, that's good news." I said.
"Huh?"
"I can't wait yo face them again." I said, my left hand over my face, covering half of my face.
"Don't get cocky. They aren't easy to beat." She said.
"Oh, I just remembered you." I said.
"Oh... it's good you do." She said as I smiled.
"You're the one who tried to get together with that Sensei."
"HUH?!"
"Well, how'd I end up forgetting?" I asked no one in particular.
*Hmm,I feel like I'm in some kind of danger.* I thought before looking up.
"You...!"
"Hmm?"
"I'll kill you!!" She shouted as I sped off.
"Ahhhh, I'm beat." I said, slumping on my bed.
"Have a shower, sir." Leni said, coming towards me.
"Ahhh, I will." I said lazily.
The next day, the training schedule changed. We were to form a team, 12 in each.
*Maybe it's cause we don't have much time to stay here, next tomorrow would be the last day.* I thought.
"Huh? Why does this guy have to be on our team?" A guy asked.
*I'm probably the guy.* I thought, looking at him.
"Don't worry, her won't even be needed. Hey, Team C bastard!!" The captain of Team S called.
*I wonder who he's referring to?* I thought, cleaning my ear.
"Hey! I'm talking to you." He said, grabbing me by the collar.
"Huh? Looks like you chose violence on your own." I said, looking down at him as he smiled.
"Pathetic bastard, you won't be playing with us." He said with an annoying smirk.
"And why's that?"
"Cause you're pathetic, we only need 11 players. You'll be the sub. We just have to make sure no one gets hurt." He said.
"Yeah, it's better that way."
"Uh-huh, even if this isn't a serious match, we still need to win."
*This is what it means to have everyone against you.* I thought, looking away.
"I don't have a problem with that." I said, walking to the closest bench.
"Hmph, that's the best attitude for a pathetic fool."
As we talked, I noticed the little boy smiling down at us while giving instructions to his men.
*Why does he always look at me that way.* I thought, looking away.
The game began as early as possible. It was annoying picking. Who's in what position at first, but they ended up clearing that.
A few minutes later, the captain of Team Q scored against my team.
My team members are: The captain's of Team E, N, G, L, I, S, H, O, R,S and me, Team C captain.
The other team, well, the other alphabets, except J and U.
The match ended with a score of 5-0. You already know the team that lost.
"Pfft."
The others turned to me immediately.
*Well, that kinda escaped my lips. Didn't plan on making it that loud.* I thought grabbing a can of water.
"What are you laughing at, M****r f****r?!!!" The captain of Team S asked, throwing his shoe at me.
"I'm sorry, couldn't hold it in." I said, catching the flying shoe.
"The bastard thinks he can do any better." A guy from Team R said gnashing his teeth.
"I didn't say any such thing, though." I said, smiling.
"After all... none of you know how I play." I said with a smirk.
"You recently made enemies with more than half of the other captains." Leni said.
"You day that, but I've been hated since I walked in here."
"Tomorrow's your last day of training, make good of it."
"Yeah, yeah."
The next day, the little kid asked me to join the Team, he said it's cause he wanted to test all of us. Oh, and we were re-shuffled.
*Ah... I won't say I changed at all since I walked in here. But one thing I can say is that I've gotten a gist of how these captains work.* I thought with a smirk.
"Well, this marks the end of our training programme, I'm sure you guys are prepared to leave." The kid said before walking out.
*Looks like we'll be off by tomorrow.* I thought while yawning.
*Finally, I'll be able to meet her.* I thought as a smile crept on my face.
"You look kinda happy." Natsumi, the one from my school, said.
"Well, why won't I, I'll be leaving here soon."
"Where you that depressed, you looked like you didn't care less about how they talked to you before." She said.
"Well, I don't, they're just a few things I want to do when I get back." I said, looking up.
"You know, there's a friend of mine... she liked you back in middle school." She said, looking away.
"Really? I was real weird back in middle school." I said.
"Not like you changed when you got into high school." She said.
"So, who's this friend of yours?" I asked.
"We lost touch of each other, I can't really remember her well, but you helped her once."
"Huh?"
"She used to be bullied in middle school because she was more of a nerd."
"Oh?"
"Well, I think she was just not in her right senses then. Why would anyone fall in love with you?" She asked as I smiled.
*Well, someone has.* I thought.
"But you really changed. It took a while for me to recognise you." She said, looking away.
"Changed, huh?"
Well, the day for leaving came and...