"Mom, I'm back." Ryuunouske said, closing the door of the salon behind him.
"Ryu, welcome home. I prepared something, it's upstairs." His mom said, styling someone's hair.
"You don't need help down here?"
"Eat first, you must be tired." She said.
"Mmn."
He left the salon and went up the stairs. After freshening up, he ate and went downstairs.
"I'm here, mom." He said, picking up an apron.
"Ah... Uzui-Kun asked for you. Apparently, a friend of his wants you to draw a tattoo on him."
"Okay, I'll be going to his house now. I'll just gather some stuff." He said, picking up a kit.
"Be careful, okay?"
"Sure, sure." He said before walking out of the salon.
"Hey, Ryuunouske! How's it going?" Uzui asked.
"Normal, I guess. Where's the person I'll be tattooing?"
"He's in there. That's my little cousin. Make sure to make it less painful." He said, the last part in a whisper.
"Sure!" He said, walking into the house with Uzui.
"Thanks for the food." Ryuunouske said, placing his chopsticks beside his empty bowl.
"I'll go tidy up." He said, taking the plates to the kitchen.
"Ryu... how was school today?"
"Uh... it was cool, mom."
"Cool? Only that?"
"Mom, it's okay. Nothing's gonna happen."
"You know that's not..."
"I joined the soccer team."
"What?"
"You heard it right, mom."
"Wow, that's some progress you made there. Did they make it hard for you? Hope... well... you don't look like anything's bothering you. I hope you have a good time there." She said, smiling.
*Ugh... the way she acts caring sometimes scares me. But...*
"Mmn... thanks, mom." He said.
"Yo yo yo! Ryuunouske!" Juro shouted as the three of them walked towards Ryuunouske, who locked his bicycle.
*Can't get over how loud he is.* Ryu thought.
"Um... Good day to you three."
"Huh? Loose up, man." Haryu said, slapping his shoulder.
"Ah-Haha." Ryu laughed nervously as they walked towards the school building.
"We'll be having our first practice match against the second and third years today. I can't wait!" Juro said happily.
"Aw, come on. Let's do karaoke one." A girl said, walking past them with three other girls.
"No, I have things to do today. Sorry, Yuki-san, sorry Harumi and Akane too." The girl said, smiling at them as Ryuunouske gasped.
*She's really pretty.* He thought, still staring at her.
"Hm?" Juro asked, looking from Ryuunouske to the girl.
*Heh...?* Juro thought, grinning.
"That's Sugawara Himekawa." Juro said as Ryuunouske turned to him sharply.
"Eh?"
"Ah... Sugawara-San. She was the Student Council President back in middle school. She's got the brains and looks. She's short, though. Haha." Haryu said, smiling at Ryuunouske.
"E-eh? W-who are you talking about? I-I have no idea what you guys are saying." He said, looking away.
*He looks really flustered.* They all thought staring at him.
"Okay! We have the first, second, and third years here. Let's begin practice. " The coach said.
"Hey, I'm the team captain, Ichikawa Souma. Nice to meet you all." A guy said, standing in front of them.
"Nice to meet you!"
"Hmph! This years first years all look like wimps."
"Yeah, but look. We've also got a violent one here, who knows, he might be all about violence. Hehe."
"Grr... those second years really know how to run their mouths." Juro said.
"Ignore them. Let's just beat them with what we know how to do best." Hajime said.
"Yeah!"
"Okay, first years, pick out your formation and arrangement."
"Guys, let's do this... whisper whisper whisper."
"We are set, Coach."
"Okay, let's hit the field then." He said, walking out of the room.
"I heard the football team is having a tryout."
"It's more of a practice match. Wanna go watch?"
"Of course. Although it's pretty much obvious, who's gonna win."
"Yeah, last year, the second and third years played well."
"Let's go!"
"Himechi, let's go watch the practice match." Yuki said.
"I thought you wanted to join the female basketball team."
"Yeah, but they decided to watch the boys match."
"Ugh... I wanna stay here."
"Himekawa-chan, why don't we all go together."
"Yeah." Some girls in class said.
*Since they insist on being persistent.* She thought.
"Okay, let's go. Yuki." She called, walking out of the classroom.
"..."
"What's going on? The second and third years... haven't scored any points." Someone said.
The guys on the pitch kept huffing and puffing.
"Don't give up guys, they might be giving us a hard time, but it's not like they've scored either." The captain said.
"Haha, that was a nice defence, Shide-kun." Hajime said, breathing heavily as they high fived.
"Ha... ha... ha..." Ryuunouske pant, his hand on his knee.
*Ah... what am I even doing? I'm dragging the team back by not scoring.* He thought, looking up at the sun.
"Ryu, let's change positions. Come forward." Haryu said.
"Sure."
*I need to score at least one. They're all doing their best out here.* He thought, biting his lower lip.
"Ryuunouske..."
*Ah, dammit. I need to do something.*
"Ryuunouske!"
"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Shimada. What were you saying?"
"We are here too, man. Don't try and take the whole burden on yourself." He said.
"Ah..."
"Yeah, yeah, just what he said." Juro said.
"We are all here. That's why it's a team game."
"Thanks, guys."
*What was I even thinking? Of course, I can't do it all on my own. I need other people, especially when they've made their support known.*
"Thanks..."
"Hmph! First years, this match is ours. Don't think we'll let you guys win."
"Yeah, we kinda underestimated you guys, but now we win."
"Huh? The match isn't quite what we expected." Yuki said.
"Right? I can't believe the first years are standing their ground." Akane said.
*I don't understand whatever is going on here. I think I should have refused them.* Himekawa thought.
"Hell yeah!" One of the second years shouted as he scored a goal.
"Aww, they scored." Hajime said, his hands on his waist.
"Looks like it. Let's get a goal back." Haryu said.
*They look so calm. Were they thought to stay chill even when a goal has been scored against them? If so, then Juro...* He thought, looking at Juro, who kept fidgeting.
"😑😑😑. Looks like I was mistaken."
"The first years are gonna lose this match."
"Seems like it. The time is almost up."
"Well, it's just as expected."
*People think we'll lose. I mean, compared to a real match, there's a reward here.* Ryuunouske thought, looking at the others panting.
*But still, they really believed that we had a chance even after that goal. We'll score a goal, even if it's just one!*
The ball kept going round the upper-classmen as they passed to each other.
*Are they trying to mock us?* Hajime thought, clenching his fists.
"Ha..." Ryuunouske exhaled as he ran towards one of the upper-classmen and stole the ball.
"He got it!"
"What are you doing?!" The captain asked.
"Let's go assist Ryuunouske!" Haryu shouted.
"Yeah!"
"I have no idea how you stole that ball, but you're not getting past me." A big guy said.
"Ha..."
"Ryuunouske, pass the ball!"
"Why are you telling him that? It's pretty obvious that he wouldn't. Whenever he gets that way, he forgets football is all about teamwork."
"Ryuunouske is so stingy with the ball."
"Coach, he's not gonna help the team that way."
"Ryuunouske! You'll leave the middle school football team and learn some teamwork before coming back. You're suspended indefinitely."
"Ha..." He sighed before passing the ball over to Hajime, who waved at him.
"Nice pass!"
*I mean, even if I pass the ball, they might not score. Team work? I think I'm very bad at that.* Ryuunouske thought, jogging forward.
"Defend!!"
*They never really accepted me anyway, so what's that about teamwork? Even the coach who let me stay back then disliked me just cause of some misunderstandings. I prefer being responsible for my own mistakes and achievements. I'm stingy with the ball, I'm quite aware. The fact that I'm blamed when I pass the ball and it gets stolen is too bad.*
"Pass here!"
*Ah... what am I even thinking about? All that's in the past. I can just... start anew here.* He thought as Juro passed the ball to him.
"Shoot it!!!"
*I just have to rely on my teammates.* He thought, shooting the ball into the corner of the net.
"He scored it!!" Juro shouted as they all ran towards him.
"H-he scored..." the captain said as the coach stood up immediately.
*If I'm correct, he wasn't concentrated. I was already planning on making him leave cause it's not alright to get distracted while playing. And he scored against Tanaka! Tanaka wasn't even able to react.* The coach thought, looking at them.
"Hahaha! We got ourselves quite some first years. We might even be able to reach finals after polishing them." The coach said to the captain who nodded.
"They haven't practised together before, but the way they played together was nice."
"Yeah, time's up." The coach said.
"Awww, already?"
"Himechi, the game's over." Yuki said as Hime looked stunned.
"Hime?"
"Ah... let's go." She said, standing and walking out with the "girls"