Kuroi had told me that Endou and the others were practice a technique called "The Inazuma Drop", and Kabeyama and Gouenji will be the ones doing it. I wasn't with them, because I was scared that they would pick me off. But after the match with Nina, I guess I wasn't that scared anymore.

Today was the match with Nosei Jr. High. Kuroi was super pumped up because he convinced Shourinji that he can sit out for a while, meaning he'd play in the match. Asuka asked if I could play, but I just said I was tired after the match with Nina.

"Man, I can't wait for my first and ever official match!" I heard Kuroi exclaim rather happily. Even though I was sitting at the far back, I can definitely hear him.

"Sounds to me you haven't played in a match before." Someoka said, looking at him. "That's because I haven't! I can't wait playing on the pitch!" Kurou raised his fist in the air. "Say, coming from Teikoku, you both haven't played? At all?" Handa asked. "I did, once. Only because I made myself look like my brother." I said. I can clearly remember, we were up against a new team, and Jirou offered to switch places with me. It was fun, but it wasn't as fun if you were playing as someone else. "Twins. Can get away with everything." Shuuya teased. "Shut up..." I mumbled. 

"Did you bring the notebook with you?" Kuroi asked, looking at me from his seat. I pulled out a blue notebook out of my bag. "Never leave with out it. Being benched has it's perks. I can copy the techniques they've been using, and I can use those techniques against them." I gave a small laugh.  "That's like using a knife from the same criminal." Kazemaru said. "Here, look at it yourselves."

I tossed the notebook at Kabeyama (who he failed to catch) and everyone was looking at it, except for Kuroi, because he already saw the inside of it anyway. After a couple of minutes, the notebook was tossed back to me. "How high is your IQ?" Handa asked again. "Uh... I never counted?" I said, sweat dropping.

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at Nosei. And wow. The first thing that came into my mind was, 'This is a dead ringer of the Amazon Jungle, but with buildings.'

"This place is Nosei Jr. High?" Endou asked while everyone else was looking around. Kuroi whistled. "So it's in a jungle like this... cool, but not to my taste." He said. I mentally sweat dropped, looking around the place. Then I saw... that.

The soccer members of Nosei Jr. High were examining, climbing, jumping, and some of them chewing, on Raimon Natsumi's car. My face went bewildered. OK, now I know why this place is a jungle, because these people are like the animals living in a jungle! And one of them was clucking!

"W-What's going on?" Natsumi asked, looking shocked and bewildered at the same time.

"T-That's them, Nosei Jr. High's soccer club!" Haruna pointed at them, having the same bewildered face as Natsumi's.

"How... can we lose to them?" Kuroi and Megane asked at the same time.

I face palmed. "Oh boy."

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The crowd was packed with students from Nosei. Everyone was cheering loudly, like it was a concert for some Korean band. 

All of us were near the bench, then Endou spoke up. "For the sake of the people who came to cheer us, let's do our best!" He raised his fist in the air. "Say, aren't they all cheering for Nosei Jr. High?" Kazemaru asked, sweat dropping a little. "Why would a weak team like us have a cheering squad?" Someoka muttered. "We do! Look!"

Endou pointed to three kids holding those handmade megaphones. One of them shouted, "Raimon Jr, High, do your best!" 

"S-Saku?" Kabeyama looked at them. I'm guessing the one with the triangle hairstyle is Kabeyama's little brother? Well, the resemblance is uncanny. "Brother! I've come to support you!" Saku shouted. "That's my brother!" I saw him pointing at Kabeyama. His other friend shouted, "The team who defeated Teikoku!"

I glanced at Kabeyama, who looked like he was going to use the bathroom again. Then again, he looked worried. Was he nervous or something? 

The team went on to the pitch a few minutes after. Kuroi gave me a thumbs up and a wink, and I shouted a, "Good Luck!" back at him. "You and Genda-san are really close." Kino said. "Yeah. He's one of my best friends when we were in Teikoku." I said. "Speaking of that, how come Nina decided to challenge you?" Otonashi asked. "To rub it in my face that she stole my place as a forward." I muttered. 

Out of nowhere, the commentator appeared, announcing, "It's finally the Football Frontier's first preliminary district match! The match between Raimon Jr. High is about to begin!" 

Then the whistle blew, starting with Raimon's kickoff. I saw that their captain ran forward, flapping his arms in the air like a rooster. Then the commentator announced again, "In this jungle-like field, how will Raimon Jr. High play?!" Actually, I'm wondering that myself. How will they play in a field like this?

Kazemaru kicked the ball to Someoka, who was charging forward with the ball in his possession. Then, when he was near the goal enough, he kicked it in the air. When Shuuya was about to do "Fire Tornado", Nosei Jr. High's captain jumped in the air, much higher than him, and he kicked the ball to his teammates. 

"T-That's an unbelievable jump..." I muttered.

The ball was kicked to one of the players that looked like a cheetah, and ran fast with cheetah-like speed. He was faster than the little guy who's--- was my teammate back at Teikoku. Though I forgot his name because he never really said anything when I joined the soccer club. 

The cheetah player kicked it to his teammate that looked like a pilot. Kageno knew that was in the center ring, but the player jumped up in the air, and Kageno did the same. But the difference in height was too obvious.

"Condor Dive!"

Using his head to (literally) bash the ball into the goal, Endou was about to stop it, but it was actually a pass to one of his teammates that looked like a gorilla.

"Tarzan Kick!"

It was shoot chain. But luckily Endou managed to save the goal by using "Nekketsu Punch". I sighed in relief. "Close save..." I muttered. 

The ball was passed to Kuroi, and he immediately ran forward, but he was surrounded by Nosei's players in a flash. Looking for an opening, he decided to pass it to Someoka, who used "Dragon Crash", but it was immediately deflected because one of his teammates used a rolling move that made him crash into the pile of wood.

His ankle was sprained, and because Megane was still scared, he gave his chance to Asuka. "You sure you don't wanna go, Rena?" He asked me, standing up. "Nah, the match with Nina was tiring, you go ahead." I waved it off.

Soon, the formation was changed. Kuroi and Asuka were on defense, and Kabeyama was placed as a forward. Looks like they have to use the technique that they were working on while I was out. Grabbing my pen, I wrote down every technique, that they used. After the whistle blew, I looked at the field again; Nosei's position was changed as well. One of the players threw the ball at them, and Kuroi didn't manage to stop him.

"Killer Slide!"

'As expected, from an ex-player of Teikoku.' I thought. "His hissatsu----" "Oh uh... I showed him how to use it." I said, cutting off Shourinji. Even though he was working for Kidou, I still have to cover him. Kidou will be found out soon. I know what he's up to right here and now.

Shuuya and Kabeyama failed doing their technique, seeing that Nosei Jr. High's captain went above Shuuya's height. 'I don't get it... if the technique involved jumping, then Shuuya would've been able to surpass his height...' I thought.

The match was at a stalemate, but every time Shuuya and Kabeyama try using their technique, the ball always ends up at Nosei's side. And because they always have the opportunity of shooting, Endou kept defending the goal. Soon, the first half ended with a tie of having no points. 

Endou was encouraging everyone. I took a glance at his hands. 'He can't handle anymore shoots at this rate...' I thought. "Man, I thought the Inazuma Drop would work!" Kuroi voice's snapped me out of my thoughts. "The huh?" I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "The Inazuma Drop. That's why Kabeyama and Gouenji kept attacking." Kurimatsu said. Oh so that's why Kabeyama was in a forward position with Shuuya. 

"Can you switch me back to defense?" Kabeyama asked, gloomily.

"Eh?" I looked at him. "If you can't, please switch me off the field." He continued. "I can't do the Inazuma Drop." 

"No, I won't let you go back to defense or switch you off the field!" Endou said.

"We're not letting you switch you off the field because you couldn't score a goal!"

'Why is he...?' I shook the thoughts out of my head.

"I'll keep passing the ball to you and Gouenji! You said you were afraid of heights, but didn't you put so much work into it?"

"You said you couldn't score a goal, but didn't you score one before?"

Kabeyama looked at Endou with a somewhat saddened expression. Me? I was looking at Endou in shock. "All your hard work won't go to waste! You'll definitely get results! That's why no matter how many times it takes, I'll keep passing the ball to you!"

"I'll keep passing the ball to you until you can shoot the winning goal!"

"Hey, the second half's starting. Wish me luck again!" Kuroi's voice snapped me out of the thoughts again as they were going on to the pitch. "Sakuma-san? How come you looked at Endou with a shocked look?" Otonashi asked. "Well... he reminds me of someone. My bad." I said.

The match was getting restless, and there was only a few minutes before the match was over. Kabeyama and Shuuya still couldn't get the technique, and Endou was going to have injured hands if he keeps defending the goal. Kuroi and Asuka were having a hard time as well, seeing as their moves were only getting a little effective. 

Soon, the desperate measure was blocking the players so they couldn't attack, but only manage to pass the ball. Nosei had a little spot, but it wasn't little enough. Zone play. At least, even though your stamina has been reduced, it'll be worth it because they managed to block the players. 

Everyone went so far in order to win this first match. It was just like the match I had back in elementary---

That was it. Everyone was trying so hard so Kabeyama can do the Inazuma Drop with Shuuya. Endou, Kuroi, Asuka, Handa, Kageno, Kazemaru, Matsuno, Kurimatsu, and the others were defending with all they got. None of them were giving in.

"Kabeyama! Shuuya! You can do this!" I shouted at them. "S-Sakuma-san?" Kino looked at me, but I ignored her. "You can do the Inazuma Drop! All of them are working hard, so don't you dare give up!!!" I found myself cheering, I found myself encouraging them, in order for them to win this match.

Kabeyama must've gotten the message, seeing everyone, and Endou, trying their best to win this game. Finally, he and Shuuya managed to perfect the...

"Inazuma Drop!!!"

"Goal!!!" I shouted in happiness. The lightning shoot got them the point just in time before the match ended. "We won, Rena! We won!!!" Kuroi ran up to me and hugged me, and for some reason, I hugged back. "You did it! We're moving to the next match!" I exclaimed.

I heard Natsumi clear her throat, and we broke the hug. Kuroi and I were blushing of embarrassment. "Thanks for the motivation, Rena." Shuuya came up to me and gave me a pat on the shoulder. "Thank you!!" Kabeyama pulled me into a hug, which was bone breaking. "Can't... Breathe!" I choked, then he let go.

"What do you mean, 'idiot'?!" I heard Endou shouted. I looked over and Natsumi was smiling, then walked away. "Hey!" Endou called, but then sighed. Kino was laughing a little. 

"So, why'd you hug me back?" Kuroi looked at me. 

"Well, you hugged me first!" I defended.

"Just to be clear, I am not my brother." He teased.

"Do you want a soccer ball to the face?!"

"Oya, oya, calm down!" Endou looked at us. "What matters, is that we're going to the next match!"

"What matters, is that we tried our best. At least we won!"

"Yeah... you're right." I smiled.