"Tell me why we're doing this again?" Sakuma, Teikoku's captain, asked as he set down his pen and flexed his hand after doing a lot of paperwork for their homeroom teacher.
Kazemaru, sitting across him, glanced up at Sakuma before returning his attention back on the work he was doing, "Who knows… We don't have practice today and Genda and Fudou somehow escaped."
Sakuma sighed, "Those two…"
Kazemaru finished his last paperwork as he set down his pen and stretched his arms. "It's nice to rest once in awhile."
"True. We haven't really had a proper one since Kageyama came back to coach." Sakuma said as he stacked his half of the paperwork with Kazemaru's before leaning back on his chair. "Do you still follow him?"
"I guess."
"…Why?"
Kazemaru blinked a few times as Sakuma waited for the former soccer player's answer. Kazemaru's eyes then glanced outside the window, thinking about his answer, before looking back at Sakuma, "It's not like I forgot what he did back then, if that's what you were thinking about. It's just that… He knew how Teikoku would win and he didn't do the same tricks from before."
Sakuma raised an eyebrow, "Are you defending him?"
Kazemaru smiled wryly, "Does it sound like that to you?"
The captain scoffed, "Yeah. I thought that you turned against us."
Kazemaru chuckled, "Well, I don't blame you for thinking that way." he shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on his chair, "Like I said. I still don't forgive him for what he had done to Raimon's predecessors nor to anyone who genuinely loves playing soccer." he then smiled wryly, "But I'm not Kidou who can bring you guys to victory without the help of Kageyama."
"Kazemaru…"
"After losing to Seishou and losing Teikoku's title as the best. I thought, 'What's the point of transferring here as a soccer reinforcement committee member, if I can't bring Teikoku to victory'" he said wryly, "Then Kageyama came in and changed the whole practice match system."
"We don't put it against you though."
Kazemaru shrugged, "Yeah but… I still didn't know how to help you. I mean… You guys unconsciously thought of what-if Kidou was here, right?"
Sakuma flinched, "You're… not wrong." Sakuma let out a sigh, "There were… definitely times where I was thinking,'what would Kidou do in this situation.'"
Kazemaru chuckled, "See? Well, there would also be times where I would think of what Endou would do in some situations as well."
Sakuma chuckled, "Seems that we've got our own insecurities."
"When you've got someone strong beside you, you'd definitely feel small." Kazemaru mused with a shrug, "But… The match against the new Raimon… You were able to overcome all that. Not just you, but the rest of the Teikoku soccer club. You guys were able to make your own strength without Kidou or Kageyama"
"Yeah." Sakuma smiled.
—
"Excuse us." Both Kazemaru and Sakuma bowed by the faculty room as they had finished delivering the task their homeroom teacher asked of then to do. Closing the door, the two walked together along the corridor.
"Hey Kazemaru…" Sakuma spoke up as he stopped walking.
"Hm?" Kazemaru stopped as well, "What's up?"
"I don't think you should worry about having to become a replacement of Kidou…"
"I stopped worrying about that a long time ago." Kazemaru smirked said, "And you? Have you stopped thinking that you guys aren't strong without Kidou?"
Sakuma returned a smirk, "Yeah. Teikoku's strong, but…"
Kazemaru raised an eyebrow, "But?"
"Teikoku can get even stronger!"
Kazemaru smiled, "Yeah… And I'll be here to witness it." he held out a fist as he grinned at the soccer club's captain, "Let's show them what Teikoku can do."
hello haha
just did this to break my writer's block and a break from school work lol
im caught up to orion but this was something i've been meaning to write since the match against teikoku back in ares…
this couldve been better without my writer's block probably hahaha rip
