Updating already? Yeesh, I should stop lifting you guys' expectations so high. I had to go back and change the last chapter 3 or 4 times after I posted it because I kept finding errors and things I had forgotten. Conclusion: don't stay up until 3:00 writing, kids.
"All right, Nagumo, let me introduce the rest of the team members-"
But before Endou could finish his statement, a loud shout rang through the air. The team glanced around to look for what had caused the noise, most of them stopping at a point in the water. Burn followed their eyes to see a blur of pink holding a surfboard flying toward them through the air. Burn's jaw dropped. How the heck-?!
The pink blur turned into a person as it got closer and the person eventually landed smack in the middle of the group. He waved at everyone; despite the obvious shock on their faces, they seemed to recognize him. Burn stared warily at this stranger, studying him, which is why he jumped out of his skin when the beforementioned surfboard almost impaled him. He turned, about to chew out the idiot, but he was already talking to Endou.
"I joined my school's soccer team! I told them about you guys and now they wanna play you!"
"Really? Awesome! Can we play them, coach?" Endou turned to her expectantly with near puppy eyes.
The coach flipped her hair. "Absolutely not. I am trying to create the strongest team on earth. We will not waste time playing against a weak junior high team."
Burn smirked. So this was the Hitomiko he'd heard about. She certainly didn't shirk her work. As she, Endou, and Surfboard Guy discoursed between themselves, Burn leaned over to the scarf kid. "Who's he?"
"Tsunami Jousuke. We met him on the island we stopped at right before we got here to look for you. Megane fell over into the sea and Tsunami saved him." He gestured toward the useless-looking guy wearing glasses. "Then we kinda taught him to play soccer."
Burn sweatdropped. "I see." If this guy had just recently learned to play soccer, Burn could understand why Hitomiko wouldn't want to waste her time playing against them.
"Very well. We'll play against you."
Burn had to pause to make sure he'd heard that correctly. When he had ascertained that his ears were working, his jaw gaped. He must've missed something important in whatever she was talking about with Tsunami and Endou. "Seriously?" he couldn't help but wonder aloud.
"Yes, seriously." Hitomiko turned to him. "Nagumo, can you walk to your home from here?"
"Yeah." Burn said quickly. He couldn't have them driving him to his house-it didn't exist, after all. "Why?"
"I'd like you to go home and pack a bag of things to take with you for the trip. Just basic essentials. You can then come over and meet us at Oumihara Junior High." The coach explained.
Burn nodded. "Sure thing, coach. See ya there." He gave a salute and turned around. After his back was turned, his trademark smirk fell off his face. What was he supposed to do now? All he could do was walk and pretend to be going somewhere. Ah, well. He'd figure something out.
Hijikata stared at the back of Nagumo's bright red head as he walked away. Of course it was possible for him to not have seen him before, and for him to happen to have a fire-based strike, but he knew that the real flame striker was elsewhere. As Raimon Eleven poured onto the caravan, excitedly chattering about their new member, Hijikata stopped Hitomiko. "Coach, can I have a word with you?"
"Of course." She walked up to him, slightly away from the caravan.
He lowered his voice. "I'm suspicious of that boy. It's possible for us to just have never crossed paths before, but him having a flame strike just the same as that person is a strange coincidence."
Hitomiko's expression turned grim. Well, grimmer, anyway. "So he really is here?"
Hijikata nodded. "He's gotten much stronger, too. But he can't join you, not yet."
"I see." Hitomiko sighed. "I'll keep a close eye on Nagumo. I wouldn't put it past Aliea to put a spy on our team. I don't want to falsely accuse him, though." Quieter, she mumbled to herself. "I don't want to cause more trouble than I already have."
"Eh? What did you say?" Hijikata questioned.
"Nothing." Hitomiko turned back toward the caravan, where Raimon was waiting. "If anything happens, contact me."
"Will do."
"Coach, what did Hijikata say?" Touko asked as Hitomiko climbed back into the bus.
"He was saying that if anything happened at Okinawa again, he would contact me." It wasn't necessarily a lie.
While Burn was silently brooding about what to do, walking around without a destination, his pocket vibrated suddenly. He took out his phone. "Gazel?" He questioned aloud as he read the name. "Oh, I guess he wants to know what that whole thing was about..." Bracing himself, he answered.
"What was that all about?" Yep, right as predicted.
"Well, Gazel, I have just successfully infiltrated Raimon!" Burn smirked, feeling quite proud of himself. He put his free hand on his hip and puffed out his chest, as if Gazel could see him. It probably looked hilarious to the passerby.
Gazel's response was not the congratulations that Burn expected, however. Instead, it was something more along the lines of: "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!"
Burn recoiled, holding the phone away from his poor ears. It was not like Gazel to yell. Or curse. Yet he was doing both.
Burn yelled his own expletives into the receiver, starting with: "WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, BASTARD?"
By now, a few people had stopped to watch. All of them looked scared. People in Okinawa, after all, were not used to fighting. Or seriousness if any kind, for that matter.
After another stream of shouts, Gazel sighed. "Alright, let's calm down and be rational." Burn could imagine him stroking his hair on the other side of the phone.
"Be rational? CALM DOWN?! I AM PERFECTLY CALM!" Burn's eye twitched. He glared at the people watching him. They backed away immediately when they saw his eyes. They promised murder.
"I am going to wait until you stop shouting." His voice was calm. It was as if he hadn't been mad just seconds ago. This only served to irritate Burn further, but eventually, Burn calmed down as well.
"How?" Gazel asked simply.
Burn told him the whole story. Gazel listened patiently without interrupting. "So that's why you needed me to hand off the phone."
"Yeah. But now I'm stuck. The coach asked me to go home and pack." Burn clicked his tongue.
A pause. "Just find a store and buy clothes and a bag." Gazel said flatly.
Burn immediately felt like an idiot. Why hadn't he thought of that?! "I guess that'll have to do." Burn grumbled, failing to hide his annoyance.
He could practically hear Gazel rolling his eyes. "Gran is not going to be happy about this."
"Are you kidding? Why not?" Burn grinned. "We have eyes inside Raimon. I can disperse the threat before it even starts. This is one of my best ideas ever!"
"Is that really your reason? Or are you just doing this out of your own interests?" Gazel said, his tone darkening.
Burn narrowed his eyes. "Are you accusing me of acting against Aliea's interests?"
Gazel sighed. Neither captain said anything for quite some time. Finally, Burn broke the silence. "I appointed Nepper captain while I was gone. I'm in. They trust me, at least somewhat. I'm not giving up this chance." With that, Burn hung up.
Burn huffed, angrily shoving his hands in his pockets and kicking a rock. "Stupid Gazel. He has no idea what he's talking about."
Not that he'd ever admit it, but Gazel's idea was a good one. He started heading forward, looking around for anything resembling a store.
But Gazel's warning ring in his head. Was this really a good idea?