"Give me a position that requires the most running!" Kazemaru said rather stiffly.
It was Monday and instead of heading towards track practice, he was standing outside the door of Endou's soccer "appreciation" club after their rather strange meeting two days ago.
And to be perfectly honest, he didn't know how to describe it.
"You don't have to be so formal." Endou laughed. Kazemaru responded with a nervous laugh.
They've met before but circumstances were different. Never as friends, or club members. Just as a track team member and a boy who watches the various different clubs.
Just as a boy who's barely seen a game of soccer in his life and a boy who plays it every night in his dreams.
He really didn't know how to think of that meet up.
"So, midfielder then? You're in charge of bringing the ball back and forth and bringing it to the forwards so they can shoot. Of course that doesn't mean you can't make a shot."
"That sounds fine, thank you."
"Like I said, no need to be formal."
"Right, thanks."
-0-0-0-
When he went home that day, he wasn't entire sure what to do. He's been to Endou's world before via sleep, because that's how he did it the first time. And the other two times after that.
But now he's been formally invited to the world? How did that work?
And to be honest, Kazemaru never experienced these types of dreams. Sure he had the occasional dream before a big track meet about him running (and failing), but he never vividly remembered those dreams as if the were actual events. And certainly another person couldn't either. He was never able to control his actions fully as if he was really there.
And to be honest, everyone around him in those dreams were people he knew, not blobs of the same person.
So Kazemaru made mental note to ask Endou about his experiences in this world. Because he just, quite frankly, couldn't understand.
But he was visiting Endou's world tonight. And there might be a game. Like there always was. And he never played soccer. He could run, but Endou was right - track isn't that much of a team sport, not like soccer.
Not like soccer at all.
Regardless he went to bed, and all he could think about was joining Endou's world, hoping that was enough.
After all, that's exactly what he did last time.
And the times before then.
-0-0-0-
The next afternoon Endou was sitting in the club room, pleased with the game he had last night. He actually finally understood someone. And that someone was Kazemaru.
And he was happy.
(Granted, it didn't take much to make him happy.)
So he waited until Kazemaru opened the door, closed it, and took a seat on the floor, a reasonable distance away from Endou.
"Nice job!" Endou said, moving closer for a high five. Kazemaru returned it, smiling in the process. They were a team. Club members. Friends. And Endou wasn't lonely anymore, he had someone else.
And he was very tempted to call Kino over and show her. Because soccer wasn't a sport she should be worried about.
And Endou would've felt content with the meeting just ending in a high five and another game, but two things: he wanted to get to know Kazemaru better and…
"How long have you been in that world?"
...Kazemaru started asking questions.
"Um," he scrunched up his face "about a week? Fairly recently I know."
"Really?"
There were totally more questions coming after this.
Essentially they all boiled down to the core of what the dream world was, and if all they did was play soccer matches. If they had practices, if Endou knew anyone there, if they could communicate with them, what's with all the fire (techniques dubbed hisatssu, or certain kill), questions like that. And ninety percent of them Endou was able to answer simply, but then came this question.
"So how come I don't have my own dream world?"
That was something Endou couldn't answer at all.
But thankfully...
"And why don't we make this club a safe haven for those with these dreams?"
He liked that question.
He just wished there was more people he could invite to this club.
And if he could just simply answer Kazemaru's question.
But he just wanted some more people in the club in general.
0-0-0-
Hold up. Future Endou? Yeah let's go with that.
Future Endou writing here, yes this is a log sort of?
Or this could be Future Kazemaru working this out… let's drop the "future" idea. It sounded cool though.
It's me here. And of course, Endou couldn't properly deal with Kazemaru's question. Which is fine, the dream world is complicated. It makes sense for it to fly over his head.
Heck it flew over my head.
(I'm not a fan of this use of "my…")
But we're not letting you readers go in the dark.
Endou's dream world is essentially a world where his dreams come true. Why it took so long to get to him? Because he didn't need it. Yet.
Seriously, that's the best excuse we got.
But to answer Kazemaru's question, the main "why don't I have my own dream world" well, we can't. Properly. Because he probably doesn't want to visit it at all. Is he afraid of it? Or is it just filled with nightmares? We don't know. Not at all.
But everyone has their own dream world. And like Endou's, it's a world that represents their desires. Or fears. Whichever.
A wonderful world that others can visit if they so allow it. Or don't allow it. There's no true science to this world. It's just dreams.
Real dreams Endou happened to unlock.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
-0-0-0-
So for the next two weeks Endou and Kazemaru tried to recruit members for the club, and failed. But it was fine.
Other than that they just enjoyed each other's company. Endou showed Kazemaru the tire swing, and Kazemaru practiced kicking it for an idea for his own hissatsu technique - because he saw the others do it and he wanted to try.
Because he saw Endou do it and he didn't want to fall behind.
"Something wind related!" Endou said when Kazemaru was mulling over it. But Kazemaru simply shrugged it off and went back to kicking the tire. It would be funny if he was the wind, but he didn't want to be the wind.
Unless being the wind meant being useful to Endou, then he would totally be the wind.
Regardless they hung out every day and night, and became such best friends that recruiting new members didn't matter. Hence the two weeks.
After that they decided the dream world should be their own little secret.
