"Neat, Eighty-five centimeters~!"
"No way, I can do better than you~!"
"Sheez, you never know when to give up, huh?"
"No way, I can do better than you~!"
"Gosh, stop saying the same thing!"
"Ehehe... sorry 'bout that."
As young children, Ryuugo Someoka and Sagi Hankei are slight opposites despite being childhood friends; Someoka is rough to the edges and a hotheaded brat while Hankei is composed and a teacher's pet. In fact, he was not surprise that she was became their class representative in the class and that he became a some sort of a troublemaker but the two never find these differences of theirs hinder their friendship, no matter how odd it may seem.
"Aww, I almost had it!"
"'Tis alright, let's do it again!"
It just so happens that both of them love soccer but, unfortunately, Hankei seem to lack skills with the ball (she can't seem to be able to decently kick a ball straight or pass them without tripping) while Someoka's a natural with kicking the ball continuously with his feet and passing straight to his teammates. Today, they're attempting on how fast they can spin the ball while balancing it on their fingers, something not really related to soccer but they do such like a ritual before calling it a day and head back to each of their respective homes.
"Wow, you broke your own record~!" Little Hankei chirped, clasping her hands together as Someoka gave a grin of triumphant with his own handiwork. "And I could only do a slow one before it falls." Shaking her blonde head, the bespectacled child nodded on her own words as she attempted to spin the ball with her finger once more, only to fall as soon as she removed her hands from rotating and balancing the ball. "No fair~! You're pulling my leg, how can you do it?"
"Don't worry, Sagi-chan," The magenta-haired lad ruffled her hair as he grinned reassuringly. "You'll get it soon."
But Hankei knew all too well that it also took him longer before he perfected balancing and spinning the ball from his fingers, watching him practice each day which motivated her to do as hard as he does. She knew he worked so hard to do something just so he could show it to her, which she felt proud in him for that.
"Ryuu-pon is amazing~!" Blonde-haired Hankei cheered with a bright smile. "He can do anything~!"
However, both of them knew that there are other kids who can do such feat, kids who are much older and experienced than them, who could top their skills asides balancing and spinning the ball. They could spin the ball and balance them longer, even longer than Someoka does and, already, Hankei felt discouraged, especially when the two started their Freshmen years in Middle High. From there, both their interest seems to divert; no more having in common with likes and dislikes of ice cream, no more common thoughts of what to play next. The only common thing that remains toward these two is attempting to balance the ball with their fingers and rotate them as fast as they could, trying to out-do one another.
"I don't know why I bother even try..."
He watched those soccer players who could do better than him, a frown seen from his face at the fact that there is no hope with him being included in their soccer team. They're far better than him, what can he even do? The only thing he could be good at is passing the ball and kicking them hard enough, but not yet enough to score a goal. Already, Someoka could tell that it's all over for him. However, he won't think of such and pursue in becoming a better soccer player than those jerks.
"...I'll never swing that high!"
From the window, the blonde-haired class president watched at the other members of the soccer team before turning away from the window she was looking at, a sigh escaping her lips knowing how she couldn't even top her own friend. Then again, she know he can do it because he's Ryuugo Someoka and if he said he could do it, then he will do it. He won't give up; he's not Hankei.
Hankei counted though her fingers (even though it's a bit impossible to do such) as Someoka attempted to spin the ball in a 250 cm radius from the tip of his fingers, the farthest and longest he can go so far.
"Awesome~!" The blonde-haired teen cheered, patting the guy in the shoulders. "See? I'm sure you can be the ace-striker in your team!" She reassured after he told her that he made it to the team at last. A grin escaped his lips at her positive words, his hope brought up thanks to her words.
"Of course I can!" Someoka said proudly, thumping his chest in triumph. "I AM the ace-striker of the team; they'll be fearing at my abilities, you'll see!" He watched her smile, reassured of his words though he wonder if he can really do it. They'll just wait and see, he'll surpass them.
When Shuuya Goenji joined the team in the middle of the match with Teikoku, he felt jealous because his role as the Raimon soccer team's ace-striker was taken to him by the new student who just appeared right here and then. Sure, he's a known soccer player back in his old school before he quit for reasons unknown and he showed potentials especially with his Fire Tornado, but he can be better than him, he always does! So training he did just to discover his own technique, showing everyone that he can be as strong as the Goenji-boy can be. Day after day, before their match, he practiced and trained to get his own, signature technique to be proud and call upon. He won't just give up and get shoved by this new guy, not that he finally get to play once more with his favorite game that was saved from being disbanded by the chairman's daughter. He love soccer and no way he would loose to that silver-haired guy!
"It's so high up, it's difficult to see..."
She watched the next match of Raimon, especially to the specific magenta-haired friend of hers, noticing how improving he is from back when they were kids. Someoka is becoming better and he started to learn to work with the rest of his teammates, she observed through her spectacles. They made him stronger, and she was happy about it. However, Hankei seems a bit wary to herself since she seem to notice how she was lagging behind and neglecting her childhood love for soccer with her friend in favor of getting higher, academic grades, maintaining the class as the class president and helping up with the other faculty members as part of the student council. She barely catch on with her friend, feeling that she was being left out on the same field while he advance further.
"Right where I wanted to be!"
They made it through the semi-finals, and they are not far off on having a rematch against Teikoku Academy, against Yuuto Kidou, the soccer genius himself and his team that humiliated them before Goenji entered the field to save the club along with Endou's help. Someoka was excited because if they beat Teikoku, then they would finally able to play in the Soccer Frontier and they can fight against the best in Japan, not just in their district. He looked up towards the window of their classroom and noticed the ever-so-diligent Hankei, working her head off with homework, class projects and helping the other faculty members. But he knows she is none other than Sagi Hankei, she could do her duties no problem since she is a stubborn person herself. Of course she can do it.
From the distance, she watched as her magenta-haired friend managed to count off to 5200 centimeters radius, a new record he broke since last time. Ever since they won against Teikoku Academy, he seem to be more busy with the practices and she was more busy with her class duties that both of them rarely interact with each other like they used to do when they were small children. However, they still somehow manage to get by and do their usual routine of seeing how long and far they could spin the ball.
"Hey, Someoka?"
"Eh?"
A pause as she looked up from the book she was reading, a small smile showing through her face. "You won against Teikoku Academy, so that means you're going for the bigger bacon, huh?" Both tried to hide the awkwardness as he grinned back and gave a ruffle to her hair.
"Silly, of course we do!" Someoka replied proudly. "We'll cream them right here and now. With me and Goenji and the rest of the team, we're unstoppable~!" He paused before now directing his question towards her. "How about you, what are your plans?"
"Oh," She pondered before giving a reply. "Don't worry about me," Hankei scuffled with her own grin. "I'm your class president, I'm sure I can do better, you'll see!" She watch him laugh as she also laugh in reply, putting behind her mind about how she will show that she can achieve his expectations as herself. Of course, she could do better, just wait and see!
Raimon Middle School won against Zeus Academy, the strongest soccer team they have fought so far, and Someoka and the others felt pride in their heart, knowing that they finally got the recognition they deserve from their hard work and determination. After forty years, the Raimon soccer team finally got their fame they deserve and it was all thanks to Endou, their coach and managers, and everyone who have helped them achieve their dreams to be in the finals. However, he felt a small pang in his chest as he looked around from within the crowd of audience and noticed that the familiar blonde-haired, bespectacled class president was watching them with a smile on her face, telling that she was proud of them as the representative of the class. So they have won, but the feeling is different. They made it, they are now the champion, this is what they want... what HE wants! They are now the strongest, and he showed to everyone that he had become better with soccer! They did it, didn't they?
But why does it feel like something's not right?
His muddled thoughts were interrupted, then shattered with everyone else, after the whole team found out once they got back from the competition that their school has been destroyed and that the original Inazuma Eleven team were defeated & injured by these unknown people and their weird ball. The rest seem to be a blur to him as he couldn't seem to face the defeat after they have just won from the Soccer Frontier. These aliens... these beings... they just defeated them who just won against Zeus.
Who ARE these beings?
As he walked home with both an injured body and pride, Someoka passed by towards an old route where he used to take when he was a kid, the view of the town seems nicer from where he stand. How could these aliens try to come here and destroy their beloved school? And they wanted to destroy the world as well? No fair~! If only he could have punch the living daylights out of them...
"Ok, let's do this one more time, Sagi!"
He turned his head a bit from where he stand towards the edge of the street and, while holding the railing with both hands, noticed a familiar person he never thought he would see doing what they used to do back then once more, after all these years. He, then, realized what was the feeling he has back then when he looked at the blonde-haired female at the crowd. Someoka was so preoccupied with being the champion and then with the Aliea Academy that he had forgot that he's not alone and, most of all, he forgot the simpler things in life where things aren't as complicated as they are now.
Hankei was attempting to practice by herself with a soccer ball, trying to catch up with her dear friend so he won't tease her about how pathetic she seems lagging behind with all the craze about soccer. Due to him and his team winning the Soccer Frontier against a very strong opponent, the female was more than motivated to attempt playing soccer once more and, most of all, prove to him that she can spin the ball as good and as fast as he does. He saw himself through her when he was younger; trying to become a better soccer player, not giving up and, most of all, just doing these for the heck of it, none of those complicated things like rivalry or aliens or world domination. He also noticed that she was attempting to spin the ball from her fingers, though she failed all over again, but it didn't stop her from trying.
Hankei almost did it, but it seems she really do fail at this kind of stuff.
"Aw~! I almost had it!" She whined before she picked up the ball once again and resumed balancing the ball from her index finger before spinning it and removing her hands for it to balance. When the ball fell down, it rolled until stopping onto Someoka's feet as she looked up from the object towards the new arrival to see her childhood friend standing from where he is, as if he figured what was missing from his life all this time. She smiled at him as the blonde-haired teen gave a sheepish chuckle to clarify her situation. "Ehe... I don't want to fall back behind with you and soccer, just so you know." Hankei said, picking up the ball and attempting, once more, to spin the ball from her fingers.
"Neat, Eighty-five centimeters~!"
"No way, I can do better than you~!"
"Sheez, you never know when to give up, huh?"
"No way, I can do better than you~!"
"Gosh, stop saying the same thing!"
"Ehehe... sorry 'bout that."
As teenagers, Ryuugo Someoka and Sagi Hankei are slight opposites despite being childhood friends; Someoka is rough to the edges and a hotheaded male while Hankei is composed and a teacher's pet. In fact, he was not surprise that she became their class president but the two never find these differences hinder their friendship, no matter how odd it may see.
"Aww, I almost had it!"
"'Tis alright, let's do it again!"
It just so happens that both of them love soccer but, unfortunately, Hankei seem to lack the skills with the ball (she can't seem to be able to decently kick a ball straight or pass them without tripping) while Someoka's a natural with kicking the ball continuously with his feet and passing straight to his teammates. However, that didn't even hinder the fact that both of them enjoy the company of each other as friends, especially since they promised to each other that the next time he comes back from his travels with the rest of the team to defeat the Aliea Academy, she will become a bit better with spinning and balancing the ball that she could, at least, out-match him with her own skill and determination. They both know that they'll be with each others back no matter what because that's what they do as friends that share a similar thought; when one of them stops spinning, the other will resume spinning for them and vice versa.
That's exactly what Ryuugo Someoka and Sagi Hankei would do.
Yeah, it's a kinda-sad of an attempt but I reckon it's because of the song that I got hooked with writing this. Reckon a oneshot of Someoka friendship fluff, though this only tackle till the start of Aliea Academy arc. But I feel like maybe Someoka has this side as well asides being a hot-headed guy n' all. And if I portray him wrong, I beg apology because I'm still watching further on Inazuma Eleven so feel free to point me out what's wrong with it.
But, ah well, I feel happy with this, just not as content since it's a bit different from what I want.
DISCLAIMER::
INAZUMA ELEVEN, its characters, location and everything else is owned by Level-5. I do not own any of them except this shorts, my own character(Sagi Hankei) and their skills, and the PC I am using. Because if I own them, I would be rich by now.
The song used is DOUBLE LARIAT by Megurine Luka and the oneshot is based from an alternate PV of the same song.
Read, Review and message would make Saiyukigallie happy as a girl who just ate a bunch of pineapples. REALLY good pineapples.