In this chapter Shizumi will be dragging out her sentences a lot. Whenever she does that, it is not to add tension but because she doesn't want to reveal the truth yet.

        Seeing Teikoku practice soccer made me want to test my footwork too. It had been some time since...the last time I played. After Teikoku was finished with practice, I took the bart to a place that held many memories of my past. Before I was good enough for...a team.

        When I got off the bart, I ran to the Steel Tower Plaza as fast as I could. It really wasn't that far, but I was panting a little by the time I got there. My endurance was deteriorating due to lack of practice in a long time and was effecting my speed. "You need to keep it up even if you don't play anymore. Speed is everything," I whispered to myself as I climbed the stairs to the top.

        When I reached the platform, I was surprised to find a tire hanging on a tree. That was strange. Nobody usually comes here, at least back when I used to practice here. Maybe some little kids from the elementary school over there made a swing here. It looked old and falling apart, so I could probably use it since it must have been abandoned long ago.

        Placing the soccer ball I "borrowed" from Teikoku Gakuen firmly on the ground in front of me, I took a step back. Then I took a step foward to go into the shoot and kick the ball. It exploded off my foot and though the tire, then bounced off a tree pretty hard. I smirk. My aim was still perfect and the shooting power was still precise like needle point.

        Suddenly, I heard a THUK and someone crying out, "Ow!" I quickly whipped around to see a boy about my age with brown hair and an orange headband lying on the ground unconscious next to my soccer ball. "Are you okay?" I called out in a panic, already starting to fish out my phone to call 911.

        Miraculously, the boy groaned and crawled up. Being hit on the head like that should have given him a concusion since I knew what happened to people who were hit by my shoots, but somehow, he looked unharmed and had a huge idiotic smile on his face. Oh no, I just screwed up his brain, didn't I? I opened up my phone and was about to type in 911 until he said, "It's fine, it's just a small bruise." I stared at him. I need to call the mental hospital to take care of his brain injury fast, didn't I? Seeing my expression he laughed nervously and reassured, "No really, it's fine! I get hit like this all the time." Okay. So I was dealing with a reckless brickhead.

        "By the way, what are you doing here? Usually, I'm the only one," the brunette asked me as if the pain was all gone already. But looking at his serious expression, I couldn't help but laugh. He really was a baka brickhead who moved on quick. "Really?" I told him, still laughing, "Usually, I'm the only one!" "Eh, I've never seen you around," he said, still in with that serious face, making me laugh even harder. "I don't come here anymore," I said, finally settling in from my laughing fit.

        Suddenly, his eyes sparkled and he grabbed onto my shoulders, "I saw that shoot. It was amazing! Ne, do you play soccer?" Another wave of sadness washed over me. I my lips grew into a thin line and I said, "Used to." "Why did you stop?" he asked, then saw my pained expression which I thought I had been hiding well, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to talk about it. But do you like soccer?" "Yeah, I do," I replied. "Then you should play again! Soccer won't abandon you if you love it with your heart," he shouted at me with enthusiasm. I smiled a little. This guy really was one of those idiots who knew nothing and dreamed big.

        "Hey, can I try to stop your shoot? That was a powerful shot earlier," he asked. My lips grew into a thin line again. "That's just a warmup shoot," I told him. "You must be a really great player then! Give me your best kick," he said, then planted his feet determinedly on the ground. I chuckled and said, "Sorry, no can do. My best kick is not to be seen," as I kicked the soccer ball lightly while walking away from him to get into position too. His form was horrible and you could easily tell that he won't even be able to stop an elementary school kid's shoot, let along mine.

        But seeing him in goalie position and a soccer ball in front of me made my senses alive again. That adrenaline which had been long gone came rushing back to me. I lifted my right leg back then made contact with the ball, sending it at him with a shoot like before. It slammed into his stomach and he tried to stand his ground and hug the ball, but it still threw him backward. Well what did I expect. His stance already looked crappy and his muscles were not prepared for the shoot at all.

        "You 'kay?" I asked, this time already knowing that he would be fine so I was not concerned at all. The boy crawled up and tossed the ball back at me. "Yeah," he replied, scratching his head, "That really was something." A faint smile played across my lips. "That's nothing. If you think that's powerful, then try to catch my best shoot," I said and started walked away, "See ya."

        "You have to show me your best shot sometime! You have to!" he shouted after me, his voice bubbling with excitement even though he had just been knocked over by my "weak" kick. "Someday," I said quietly with a smile, then turned and walked away. "Then it's a promise!" he shouted loudly. I waved without turning around, signifying that I had heard him. "Alright!" he cheered, "I'm gonna get strong enough to stop it!" He really was a strange boy.

        As I walked toward the stairs, I didn't notice the crimson red eyes watching my every move carefully behind a pair of goggles. But right before I reached the bottom of the stairs, I could have sworn I saw the corner of a cape dash behind a building. Maybe it was just a shadow.

In case you were worrying, this story isn't becoming Endou x Shizumi. This chapter is very important for future chapters, though. And it's very obvious who was stalking her. But like I said, it's not for love. You'll just have to wait to find out why.