[ notes/ thank you for your patience. Emergency Couple is soon coming to an end ! About two chapters more and it'll be complete ! Afterwards I hope to be writing Orion, so please support me to the very end ! I'll be making a new story with a new title, and I'm actually pretty excited for it ahaha. Thank you so much for being with me all this way, I've met so many people through this story that have become my friends who i absolutely adore. You are all so very precious to me, never, ever forget this. ]

"It's good to see you're resting up well, Captain." You happily bowed your head in greeting to Michinari. It seems like he banged up his leg pretty bad, so the poor thing wouldn't be playing in the finals. This was your last game, and while this was a huge disadvantage - your morale had not taken a single hit.

"Yeah, I'll to my best to get better quickly." He flashed you a quick smile, before turning to Haizaki - the new addition to the team. He had no relations to anyone in this team, so dragging the male along to see the captain must have been a little awkward on his half.

"It's reassuring to have you on our team, I'm counting on you." Michinari attempted to be friendly with the gray-haired devil, but Haizaki still seemed so out of place. He blinked his eyes in confusion before turning away bashfully.

"Yeah." This was all he had in response, and while you were alright with it, Asuto piped up.

"You could at least be a little kinder!" The raven haired male huffed.

"Oh-. . . Right. Looking forward to working with you." Haizaki mumbled under his breath.

"Why do you have to be so rude!?" Goujin shot up from his chair, to be immediately pushed back by Asuto.

"Goujin, this is a hospital, please don't cause a ruckus and get us kicked out." You let out a defeated sigh. Were you the only normal person on this team?

"That reminds me, [L/n]-san. There's a favor I have to ask of you." Michinari caught your attention yet again, and soon enough, everyone was looking at you.

"Yes? What is it?" You straightened up, a little uncomfortable under everyone's stares.

"I want you to take the captain's band for this match."

You almost thought you had misheard him. Slowly, your eyes widened.

"Wh-what?"

"Don't pretend like you didn't heard me." He jested with a small chuckle. "I think you're the best choice for this. You can read Nosaka Yuuma like a book."

As if looking for confirmation as of to what he just said, you looked around to the others. They'd only smiled at you and nodded, but this didn't feel right. You were absolutely honored to be given this opportunity, and be thought so well of - but the captain's band did not belong with you.

"Captain, thank you so much. I'm so happy. . ." You bowed your head deeply. "But I have to refuse."

"What? Why-?" His expression faltered. You lifted your head and shook it, a small smile marring your features.

"I think Asuto is perfect for the job, more than I am." Your gaze turned to the shocked male. "Please take the role, Asuto-kun."

The dark haired male stared at you in confusion, racking his brain for a reason, a reason for you to make this decision. He was well aware your skills were way ahead of his, you were much smarter, and the team would probably fallen in shambles if it weren't for your help.

". . . I think. . . That you're making a mistake, [L/n]-chan." Asuto lowered his head with an apologetic simper. "I can't be the captain."

"Of course you can, I don't see why you can't." You reached out a hand to his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze - a reminder that you were still there for him. His smile had just slightly widened, as he lifted a hand to yours, holding onto it tightly.

"If it's you who's asking, then I can't say no." Asuto chirped, giving you his signature bright smile. It was easily contagious, and you found yourself grinning as well.

"I'm glad. Thank you."

After staying with Michinari for a while, Asuto had taken both you and Haizaki to one of his favourite spots in town. A new Inazuma Tower had been put up, and the view of the sunset from the top was absolutely gorgeous. The excitement in his eyes had brought a familiar feeling of warmth to your heart.

"What do you think! Isn't it amazing?" Asuto scampered up to the glass pane windows, ushering you and Haizaki to come over quickly.

"It's beautiful, thank you for bringing me here." You chirped, staring out along the horizon. The sunset always calmed you. The vibrant warm colours setting fire to the once blue sky, before it turns dark. . . An endless cycle of days and time.

". . . Why did you bring me here?" Haizaki frowned, despite looking out at the view anyways.

"Oh. Right." Asuto trailed off. "Are you still thinking about revenge?" He asked so suddenly. Now the question was probably for you, why did he bring you here?

"I did learn what real soccer was, playing against Raimon. . . But even still. I want to destroy him. I still want to avenge Akane." His hands balled into fists unintentionally. You noticed his sudden change of mood and nestled your eyes shut.

"There's nothing wrong with that, Haizaki-kun." You said, earning a confused glance from him. "I love soccer for what it is, but I want to beat him too. I feel that if I do beat him, then I can finally enjoy soccer for what it is."

His dull eyes softened. It was almost like you took the words right out of his mouth. The two of you really did have some similarities.

"You can't possibly hate him." Haizaki turned his eyes back to the view.

"I don't. I don't hate him at all, and you probably don't either." You trailed off. "We're just mad that things ended up this way. . ."

You were upset that you'd been groomed and lied to, you were upset you had to spend so much of your life in the hospital. You were upset that when you finally got your own strength to move on, things became complicated all over again.

But you weren't upset with Nosaka for it, you weren't upset with the fact that it was his fault.

Haizaki merely hated that fact that Akane ended up like this.

At least he could find some solace in your words. He could find solace in you.

"Good morning!" With a chirpy smile, you greeted Haizaki as you both entered the school gate.

"Morning." He quietly greeted you as well. Integrating into a completely different group of people must be difficult, but you were very proud of Haizaki for trying his best to seem polite and well mannered. Normally he'd shrug off anyone on his other team, but now he was actually letting others around him, and speaking to the team as well.

The two of you made your way to the club room together, where an unpleasant surprise sat waiting for you.

"Nosaka!? What is he doing here!?" Haizaki burst out, immediately irritated.

"I-I don't know!" Asuto furrowed his brows.

"You're all here, perfect." Nosaka crossed one leg over the other, an expressionless smile on his sharp features.

"Are you here to declare war or something?" Mansaku frowned, "what does the enemy want with us?"

"You could interpret it that way if you'd like. . ." Nosaka brushed this accusation off like dust. "I've only brought you a present." Slipping a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a microchip and handed it to Okuiri. The dark haired male fixed his glasses while staring at the chip.

"What is this?" He asked.

"Outei Tsukinomiya gets full support from the scales of Ares computer system. It computes attack patterns based on not only our opponents data, but their biorhythms too." Nosaka explained, but this information seemed a little redundant to the question.

"Are you just here to brag?" Goujin scoffed.

"There's nothing to brag about." Nosaka shot back nonchalantly. "To make the match completely fair, I'm giving you all of our player data." He said this, but there was a strange smile on his face that made his apparent motive so dis-genuine.

"Maybe it's a trap." Okuiri muttered under his breath.

"I have no ill intention." The red head addressed this concern immediately.

"Then, why are you helping us?" Mansaku sighed, this was getting frustrating.

"For me, the next match is a crusade. What is the real path that mankind should take? Does the scales of Ares really have the power to change man's future. . . ?" Nosaka went on, his eyes falling particularly on you. "I still don't know the answers. So that's why I want to fight you fairly. I want to fight you and find those answers, putting everything on the line." The grip on his own hands tightened. It was almost like he was waiting for you to say something, he was waiting for your reaction.

"Nosaka. . ." Asuto frowned to himself as the rest of the team still didn't know how to respond. This was all so bizarre.

"Okuiri-kun, please hand it over to me." You asked politely, reaching a hand out.

"Oh, sure. . ." Hesitantly, the male placed the microchip in your palm.

You took one look at it, and dropped it to the floor, smashing it to pieces under your heel. Everyone on the team was at a loss for words.

"There's your answer. Now get out, we have practice to do." With a simple gesture using your head, you made your point very clear.

". . . You never seize to amaze me, [Y/n]." Nosaka nestled his eyes shut, a humorless chuckle slipping past his lips. "Very well, I'll be taking my leave then." At that, he rose to his feet, and left the room in utter silence. It wasn't very long after that Anna had rushed after him, but you made no attempt to stop her.

"Someone clean this up for me," You lifted your shoe from the remnants of the microchip before heading to the changing room.

"R-right!" Okuiri immediately swept the remains into a napkin, then tossing it in the garbage where it belonged.

"Everyone! Because Captain and [L/n]-chan asked me to be captain for this match, I've come up with a plan for us to win!" Asuto quickly scampered to the front of the room. Everyone had waited patiently, and eagerly for his tactics.

"We're going back to the island!" He piped up.

"What!?" In unison, everyone nearly lost all their balance. Even you were baffled.

"I was thinking a lot about it last night!" Asuto chirped, "and I thought that we officially need to make Haizaki and [L/n]-chan a part of the family!"

"What if that's something I don't want?" Haizaki raised his arm, not even bothering to be picked to ask the question.

"Then that's too bad." You pat his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Anna had caught up with the emperor, and called out to him in a frantic rush.

"Are you really going to play in the next match?" She asked, clearly concerned for his health. While this was flattering, Nosaka didn't want to accept any sort of charity.

"I'm the captain after all, I have to." He responded with a small simper.

"But you're--"

"I know." Nosaka cut her off. "This match will be my last."

"Your. . . Last?" Her brows furrowed.

"I'd like for you to see my last plays."

"What exactly are you trying to achieve? How could any it be worth your life?" Anna continued to pester him. Nosaka merely tilted his head, before turning his back to her. "Nosaka-kun!"

"[L/n] [Y/n], is worth so very much more than my life."