Nagumo Haruya, also –if not better- known as Burn, and Suzuno Fuusuke, also –if not better- known as Gazel, were staring each other in the eyes.
A staring contest with strained eyes.
Beach. Burn's eyes read. Sea. Gazel's eyes said. And thus, they went to get some ice cream.
Three days post the FFI, Burn and Gazel had decided to ignore their differences and agreed to create a better-than-the-perfect team. They had also supposed it would be better to do that after their exams, and then after their final exams. And then Burn had got a girlfriend and Gazel had got a hobby, and then, after Burn broke up and Gazel got bored, Burn had got a hobby and Gazel had got a girlfriend.
And then (three years post the FFI) they saw Kiyama Hiroto (also known as Gran –aka the friendly alien-). That was yesterday, and this is what happened:
Nagumo Haruya was walking, quite happily, quite quickly, and whistling a song or tune when he saw Suzuno Fuusuke leaving the grocery store with a bottle of water, a balloon, a bag of rubber bands and a piece of gum. Nagumo, in a fairly good mood, decided to have a chat with his (childhood ?) friend when he saw the person walking past Suzuno and to him: Kiyama Hiroto. This is when it started to get less friendly and more, why, frustratingly, at Nagumo's part, that is. Because: why was Hiroto (of all people) with Gazel and was he (of all people –wait what?) not? Nagumo was a person who held grudges. Sometimes for a couple of years. Sometimes even longer. And he had yet to forgive Gran for ruining his and Gazel's game. (Remember when they had created 'Chaos' and they had played soccer against 'Raimon Eleven'. Remember the part where Gran came and stopped the game?)
''Gazel, Gran,'' Nagumo said. ''Having a good day together?'' Nobody, including Nagumo, was supposed to call anyone to their alien names anymore. The reason he did it anyway was because he felt a different person. He felt as if he had two personalities: an alien one, and the real one. And he thought that if he had two persons inside him, the others would have, too. And he blamed the alien ones, not the others.
Hiroto looked at Suzuno, who looked at Nagumo, who looked into the blinding sun. ''The weather is incredibly nice.'' Hiroto said. He held up his hand to Suzuno, who gave him a rubber band, and he left.
''So,'' Nagumo began. ''Why'd go shopping with Gran?''
''We've got a new flavour.'' The ice cream man said. ''If you take one scoop 'Hasa' you get another scoop for free.'' Nagumo nodded and paid for both cones. ''What does 'Hasa' taste like?'' He asked. Suzuno sniffed the ice.
Nagumo didn't know what Suzuno had been up to for the past three years. Yes, they lived in the same orphanage, on the same floor, but no, he hadn't bothered to ask. He didn't want to be perceived as clingy and now Suzuno saw him as cold. The irony! ''So what have you been up to, these past three years?'' Suzuno asked him, as if reading his mind. Nagumo sighed. ''Well,'' he said. ''I've been quite busy lately. As you know, I started a study psychology, and when I learn it wasn't anything for me, I stopped and started a course 'cooking for the advanced' which I very much enjoyed –I can cook a meal for you if you want me to- and then I realised that wouldn't help me get a job because I'd never want a restaurant or such a thing; I just enjoy making meals, as a hobby, you see, then I started thinking about the future and then, almost automatically, I recalled the past, also the alien business and, well, it's not like we can't talk about it, right? I mean, I know it's a sensitive subject, but-'' Nagumo looked at Suzuno and was relieved at the soft look in his friend's eyes. Those eyes, they could be cold as ice and hard as stone. They also could be warm as the blue and green sea in the summer, as they were now. ''It's all right.'' Suzuno said. He had finished his ice cream anyway.
''Let's go. To the beach.''
''So,'' Nagumo began. ''Why'd go shopping with Gran?'' Suzuno ignored his question. ''The weather is incredibly nice indeed.'' He said, and he sighed softly. ''How have you been, Nagumo? We haven't spoken a lot lately.'' Maybe because you put up with that wannabe alien, Nagumo thought, knowing how hypocrite he was. ''What'd you buy that for?'' He asked, aiming at Suzuno's bag. The balloon drifted away until it was but a small red spot in the big blue sky.
Nagumo walked Suzuno home. Not because they lived under the same roof, nor because it was the way they both needed to go, no, Nagumo had a question, and, very unlike him, he didn't dare asking. Very unlike him indeed. Why didn't he just scream and shout? Why didn't he just get angry? Crazy? Mad? Maybe because he had grown up. Maybe because he was too tired for that. Maybe for no reason at all. Every step Nagumo took was a step closer to home; a step further from his chance to have a chat. Which was ridiculous, of course, they lived under the same bloody roof! Nagumo could always come to Suzuno would he want to. Then why did he feel like time was slipping away? Like it was sucked out with every step they took together.
''Say, Suzuno,''
The beach was empty. It wasn't 'not busy' or 'not crowded' nor were there 'not much people'. No, the beach was completely deserted. Apart from Nagumo and Suzuno, there was simply no one there. No one.
''Well this is a surprise.'' Nagumo said. And he couldn't resist a silly smile.
Why there was simply no one was a mystery. It was a Saturday, it was about noon. It was summer holiday and the most popular beach near Inazuma Town was just, well, abandoned actually. Nagumo and Suzuno dashed to the water. It was like a dream: a beautiful day, incredibly nice weather, their private beach! They splashed and splattered and screamed and shouted and they had fun. For the first time in what seemed ages, they had fun, together, again. The alien business had divided them, no, torn them apart. The following humiliations had broken their pride and crushed their souls and then they lost, again, now against Japan instead of Inazuma Eleven or Raimon Eleven. They had played fair and nice and they had lost, again, anyway. That should have been the end of their friendship, no, relationship. Everything. And it was. Or so Nagumo had thought. He had thought his childhood friend, friendly Fuusuke, had turned into someone else, something else, and he had, and Nagumo had, too, but different didn't mean bad, didn't mean they weren't friends anymore. He had realised that the other day.
''Say, Suzuno,'' Nagumo said softly. ''What happened?''
It was a very vague question. The interpretation was most important, most interesting. Also, disappointing: ''What happened when?'' Suzuno asked. They were almost home anyway. Nagumo sighed. ''Never mind.''
''Never mind what? The fact that you've been actually avoiding me?'' Suzuno stopped as he said that, and thus Nagumo was bound to do the same. ''You know,'' Suzuno said. ''I thought you'd get over it.''
They both knew what they both meant. What had happened was nothing. Nagumo had done nothing and thus Suzuno had done nothing and nothing had happened. It was cruel. About what Nagumo should have gotten over was the alien business. The most hated, infamous alien business. They had been enemies, not rivals, no, enemies. They had existed to ruin the other and they had wanted to do so. Had Nagumo gotten over that? Had Suzuno? No, yes. And that was the problem, wasn't it? Nagumo couldn't forget what happened, and neither could Suzuno, but while the former failed at letting it go, the latter had done so.
''How did you do it?'' Nagumo asked. He looked tired. He was tired. He was tired of pretending they weren't the ones who had harmed so many, who had hurt so much. He was tired of pretending he didn't like Suzuno, in case Suzuno wouldn't like him. Gazel hadn't liked Burn. Suzuno wouldn't like Burn. Would Suzuno like Nagumo? ''Gazel,'' Nagumo said. ''Do you still hate Burn?''
If Suzuno wouldn't have been as good in reading faces and minds as he was, he would have responded very differently. But Suzuno had a secret talent, and he sat down on the pavement. ''I don't know the details of your 'different personalities philosophy'.'' Suzuno said. ''But I know this: power changes things. Power changes everything. The meteorite granted us power, but, as always, anything precious comes with a price, and we paid by losing ourselves and changing into something cold and cruel. And that's what happened. We can't change that, Nagumo, but I don't believe I should hate you still, if that's what you're actually asking.''
When Nagumo and Suzuno left the water and went to dry on the sand, there were still no people at the beach. It had begun to become strange.
''Why do you think it is?'' Nagumo asked. To himself and Suzuno, for that matter. The latter shrugged. ''Don't worry about it.'' He simply said. He was right, of course, why worry about things you can't change anyway? As long as they do no harm, that is. ''You know, Nagumo, I missed this.''
''I missed you, too.'' Nagumo said and he looked away so Suzuno couldn't see his now red face.