First Day in the Soccer Club
"I'm glad to hear that you got into the club." Abel said to his brother over the phone.
Tenma hummed as he dried his hair with a towel. He had just gotten out of the shower when Abel called him. He absently rubbed Sasuke's tummy while answering, "I'm getting to know the coach's temperament. He's someone who wants the best for the club. If that means having players who love soccer to inspire his team, he'll make that happen."
"Have you figure out about the situation of the Japan's Youth soccer?" Abel asked tentatively.
"Not all the pieces but enough to figure out that something is wrong. The captain and the remaining players...they are scared of something that is preventing them from enjoying soccer like they should." Tenma frowned. "And there is Tsurugi Kyousuke."
"The punk? You can probably handle him with your steel glare." Abel huffed in amusement.
"As a matter of fact, I did." Tenma smiled slightly. He then became somber. "Abel, what is going on in Japan's soccer scene?"
Abel was silent on the other end for a few minutes and Tenma was starting thing think he had hung up when his brother slowly answered, "I can't really say much. I'm not too sure about the details either. If I find something, I will let you know but I think you will be faster than me."
"But you know something." Tenma narrowed his eyes.
"It's not something I can talk about over the phone. By the way, Dahlia been stalled in Wythras. So it'll be some time before she can go work in Raimon." Abel hesitated before pleading. "Try to stay out of trouble until then."
"No promises." Tenma hummed, inwardly laughing at his brother's exasperated groan.
XXXXXX
"We did it. We did it. We did it!" Tenma could barely contain his excitement as he ran to school. Thanks to his dribbling skills, he managed to avoid the pedestrians...well, most of them.
"Ah-! I'm sorry!" Tenma quickly apologized when he collided with someone.
"That's ok. Be more careful in the future" The person dusted off himself. Upon closer inspection, Tenma paled when he realized it was Raimon's goalie.
"I'm so sorry, senpai!" Tenma bowed.
The goalie blinked at him and his eyes lighted up in recognition. "You're Matsukaze Tenma, one of the new members of the club."
"Yes!" Tenma gulped, not daring to look up.
"Relax, I'm not mad."
Tenma tentatively raised his head and to his relief, the goalie was indeed not mad but had a warm smile.
"I am Sangoku Taichi, Raimon's first team goalkeeper." Sangoku extended a hand. Tenma smiled and took it.
"Matsukaze Tenma, nice to officially meet you."
Sangoku nodded and gestured for them to walk as they talk. "You have made quite an impression on the club for the last two days."
"I promise I never meant to join the game with the punk's team. I just asked the coach if there was anything we could do to help the team. Guess it's a lesson to remember to be careful with what I ask for." Tenma scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Kudou-kantoku's always been non-forthcoming about his intentions. But they usually work out in the end." Sangoku reassured him.
"I don't know about that. I ended up making things worse."
"If it wasn't for you pleading to Shindou not to give up, he would not have been able to summon out his Keshin and make the Fifth Sector retreat."
Tenma looked at his senior with slightly narrowe eyes. "Fifth Sector?"
Sangoku realized his said too much and quickly shook his head. "It's not my place to say anything about them." Clearing his throat, he changed the subject. "By the way, I'm pretty sure many people are already speculating this, but are you Japanese?"
"...Is it the accent?" Tenma grimaced. "I'm trying my best to make it less noticeable."
"Hate to tell you this, but anyone who was born and raised in Japan will notice it."
"I was born in Okinawa and my mother is Japanese. But I spent the last eight years in Europe. Does that answer your question?" Tenma raised an eyebrow at the older teen.
"Hm. And your father? Is he Japanese too?"
It was as though a switch was flipped and Tenma's face became blank and cold. "I don't know."
Dread filled Sangoku when he realized he unintentionally stepped into dangerous territory. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Tenma forced himself to remain calm. Sangoku did not deserve his steel glare or anger. It was a valid, innocent question and Tenma should have expected it. He offered the goalie a small smile and shook his head. "It's fine. I don't like to talk about him."
They continued to walk in awkward silence until the reached the gates. Tenma turned to Sangoku and gave him a polite bow. "I'll see you after school then, senpai."
"Right." Sangoku nodded awkwardly as Tenma immediately made his way to the school building. He heaved a sigh and made his way to the soccer building. Just when he and Matsukaze were getting along, he blew it. He knew many of his teammates were not happy with the inclusion of Matsukaze on the team, Shindou especially. He understood their reservations of welcoming any soccer loving players on the team. They too were once like that until their delusions of playing soccer were shattered by the Fifth Sector. And he can understand Shindou's reasonings of not wanting that to happen to the new players because when it happens, Shindou will feel the most responsible for it.
But Matsukaze was more perceptive than they thought. He probably figured out that something was wrong even if he doesn't know about the Fifth Sector. Kudou had explicitly told them not to tell the new members about the Fifth Sector and he and Otonashi will handle that.
And Sangoku will respect that. But deep down, he had a sinking feeling about his coach. There was something the coach was not telling them and it was unnerving him.
XXXXXXXXXX
First day of practice went about with many of the members ignoring the two first years. Tenma was fine with that considering his awkwardness towards Sangoku. The goalie was distant from the first years yet offered kind encouragements when he can. The other members however were following the captain's lead in pretending that Tenma and Shinsuke were not around.
At least they got to see some of the senior's hissastsu moves, Tenma thought wryly as he, Shinsuke and Aoi chatted as they walked back home.
"It's too bad that we didn't get to practice with the senpais at all." Shinsuke frowned. "At this rate, we won't be able to improve and they might take us off the first team."
"Don't worry Shinsuke. As long as we work hard, it'll work out somehow." Tenma grinned fiercely.
Any doubt that Shinsuke had evaporated when he recognized the same determination in his friend's eyes that gave him trust and hope in his friend's words. Smiling back, he pumped his fists in determination. "You're right. We'll do what we can tomorrow."
"Yeah!"
Little did they know, their days in the club were going to be a lot harder. The next day, when they arrived at the club room, to their surprise, everyone was already there. Tenma narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the room. The seniors, Otonashi and Kudou were looking tensed for some reason and held barely contained disgust in front of the new players and managers. At the back of the room, Tsurugi was looking smug.
Alarms sounded in Tenma's mind at the mention of a practice match, not because of the match itself, but the seniors' reaction to it. They didn't look happy about the practice match at all. This was evident by their half-hearted practice compared to yesterday's. And as the day before, the punk was not joining practice and was looking so smug that Tenma wanted to punch his face. But he promised the captain that he will restrain himself and not cause anymore trouble with the punk.
That does not mean he has other ways to wipe the smirk of his face.
"I don't see why you have to practice today when you are only going to lose tomorrow." Tsurugi spoke up with a sneer when Kudou called for a break.
"That punk..." Kuramada clenched his fist angrily with a heated glare. "Just you wait...!"
"Kuramada-senpai, I know that I said that he was a punk before, but in my head, I upgraded him to emo edge lord." Tenma unexpectedly spoke up calmly. That did the trick of shifting everyone's attention on him, and calming Kuramada down. Everyone looked at him with weird looks and Shindou gave him a warning shake of his head, which he ignored.
"What was that?!" Tsurugi growled at him.
Tenma went to stand in front of Tsurugi with his back to his new teammates. As such, they didn't see him give Tsurugi a fleeting steel glare that made him clamp his mouth shut and take a step back.
Tenma knew that he won and gave him an innocent smile. "You know what, I should apologize to you too. We are on the same team and will be working together in the future. I promise that I will not call you punk or emo edge lord anymore, if you promise not to aggravate the senpais anymore."
"Whatever!" Tsurugi snapped and stormed away.
'That dork...he purposely did this to make Tsurugi leave the field and make sure that none of the senpais got into trouble.' Aoi blinked with a small smile as Tenma moved back to her side to take a drink from his bottle, not minding the other players' gaping and curious expression.
XXXXXXXXX
Kudou eyed Matsukaze intently as the boy diffused a potential fight by manipulating the SEED to leave the field. But for a moment, it looked as if Tsurugi was scared of Matsukaze, a distinct contrast of how the SEED usually looked down on Matsukaze.
There was something unique about the boy's soccer that was so similar to that person's. It was the kind that was passionate and stemmed for their love for the sport. But that was where the similarities ended. Matsukaze was perceptive and a little cunning, but in a good way he supposed. So far, Matsukaze was more interested in protecting the team and his friends rather than using his manipulations for his own gain. So for the time being, he will let the boy do what he wants to observe him further.
And Sangoku told him about his conversation with the first year that morning and his suspicions that Matsukaze might know more about the Fifth Sector than they realize. To be fair, after the match from the first day, anyone will be suspicious. But it was likely that Matsukaze also figured out something was seriously wrong with the practice match.
Kudou knew his time in Raimon was coming to an end with the match with Eito and Endou will take over if Megane was successful in hacking into the Fifth Sector. It was cruel to do this to his students, but it was necessary if they want to take down the Fifth Sector. If anyone can guide them, especially Matsukaze and Nishizono, to play real soccer and bring out their best, it was him.
XXXXXXXXX
Later, Aoi and Tenma were headed to the supermarket to run errands while Shinsuke headed back home first to get started on homework. This allowed them to talk freely.
"You never cease to amaze me when you do that." Aoi told her friend, referring to how Tenma diffused the situation during practice. "It really pays to be perceptive and manipulative."
"If I wasn't, I would have died from humiliation by now." Tenma rolled his eyes slightly. He then became serious. "Did you notice anything about the senpais?"
"They looked unhappy about the practice match." Aoi frowned.
"I think it has something to do with whoever sent punk to destroy the Raimon soccer club and this Fifth Sector."
"Fifth Sector?" Aoi raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "I don't think you would know about them since you were living overseas. It is the organization that manages Japan's soccer. Where did you hear about them?"
"Sangoku-senpai slipped the name to me when I bumped into him this morning." Tenma tilted his head up to stare at the sky. "I know I heard the name somewhere. But..."
Seeing the apprehensive look on her childhood friend's face, Aoi gave him a worried look. "Tenma?"
"I don't know why, I feel afraid when I think about the name." Tenma said softly. He turned to her with a shrug and reassuring smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll figure it out soon."
"Hm. I forgot this ask this earlier, but do you have any news on your mom?"
"No changes yet. But father wants to move her to Switzerland for safety." Tenma shook his head and Aoi knew he was hiding a lot of pain behind his eyes. "Abel promised he will call if there is any changes but he's busy now. And he can't go with mama when they transfer her."
"Is the insurgent situation that bad?" Aoi whispered.
"They won't tell me anything about it. And there isn't any news coverage on it outside Wythras." Tenma said in frustration.
"They don't want you to worry while you're here. They want you safe and be able to play soccer freely." Aoi placed a comforting hand on his arm.
"I know." Tenma gave her a sad smile. "I just wish that I didn't get to come here at the expense of mama and Wythras' peace."
"What you can do for them is do your best in Raimon, starting with the practice match tomorrow."
"I will." Tenma nodded with a determined look. 'And I will find the person who hurt mama and make him pay.' He silently thought.
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