After brushing his teeth and changing his clothes Shindou slowly walks back to his room, the painkillers are doing their work, but he still feels it. Paracetamol just isn't that strong to let the pain go away. Shindou lays down on his bed but he can't sleep, the pressure and stress are the problem. He keeps thrashing about and pressing his eyes together. Finally he gives up and opens his eyes, it's midnight. He sits up straight and looks outside of the window. It's dark out.
He sighs and stands up slowly. 'I guess I can't sleep anymore today" is the only thing he can think. And that's strange, because he's exhausted. He walks through the corridor to the training hall and goes outside. It isn't that silent outside, he hears several cars, planes and trains coming by. The street lights are on, it's so different here, it's not like home...
With every step he takes a stab of pain shoots through his body. He flinches and groans quietly. "Ow!" Luckily there's nobody outside. He looks quickly around and lets a tear out. Why did it come back?! He thought he was all right... But he isn't. "I want to play... I-I want to face the world..." The sentence escapes from his mouth like an almost inaudible unsteady whisper. He sits down and folds his arms around his legs. He looks at the ground, biting his lip. Nobody will ever know this, and they better don't know.
He keeps sitting there that night, hurting himself inside, knowing nobody will hear him. "Everyone thinks I'm weak... I have to do something to my personality..." He clenches his fists and closes his eyes. "Nobody likes me for who I am... Or... Who I was." He swallows, but his throat feels swollen. "... Why?!" He screams to the sky. It was the first real match he played, well, in this own era. This team was so... Horrible. Shindou doesn't know how to say it else. The worst... Every player of them.
He opens his eyes and stands up. Black patches start to dance in front of his eyes. He clutches the railing he stands next to. His head feels heavy. "... I should go back to my room." Shindou tries to stand up, but can't keep his eyes open any longer. Before he falls back, a figure with the shape of a human appears. Shindou can't figure out who it is and closes his eyes slowly.
The next time he opens his eyes he is lying on his bed, he must have been sleeping. The person is still sitting in his room and Shindou recognizes him immediately. "...Kudou kantoku?" It's still early in the morning. "What are you doing here?" "That's not at the point Shindou, the point is. What are you doing here?" Shindou lowers his head. "... Kantoku... I want to face the world. I really want to... But I don't know how." They both sat in silence for a while, - well, Shindou lay – before Kudou said something.
"If you want to play, I have something for you here." Shindou looks up. What was it? Kudou hands him over a little box and a bandage. Shindou looks at his former coach. "... What is that for?" As Kudou points at the box he begins to read. Naproxen... Anti-inflammatory painkillers. "But kantoku, this is a kind of drugs. I can't take that." "Shindou, you have to take them, even if you don't play. It's not like you have a choice." "... Shikashi kantoku..." But Kudou doesn't seem to listen anymore. "Take three pills every day, keep it balanced, if you get one of the side effects, like stomach discomfort, call me." Shindou nods. "I will."
"Then I'll leave now" says Kudou as he stands up. "H-hai. Arigataugozaimasu." Shindou replies as he lies down. He'd better take a bit sleep, the others aren't awake yet. Shindou opens the little box and takes a pill which he takes with the glass of water coach Kudou left on his desk. He can't stand the pain anymore, has he forced his leg in the match and during practise? Probably, how else?
Shindou manages to fall asleep after a while. In due time Tenma asks Minaho to wake Shindou. At the time Minaho knocks on his door Shindou is still deep in slumber. Minaho opens the door to his room and is about to make him wake up as he spots the little box on Shindou's desk. "What is this?" He whispers to not wake Shindou in the first time. Minaho takes the little box in his hands. "Anti-inflammatory painkillers, huh? Well, let's see what's wrong with you, my eye is on you with practise." Minaho says almost inaudibly before he raises his voice to wake Shindou up as he places the box Naproxen back on the desk. "Shindou-kun. Wake up! Breakfast is ready." Shindou opens his eyes and sits up straight. Who let him wake up like that?! He looks at the boy in his room. Minaho Kazuto... The one who thinks he knows everything. He decides to act innocently, "... Hai?"
At the time Shindou changes into his jacket, everyone has almost finished their breakfast. But he isn't hungry at all. Contrary, he looks around and sits down around a table, alone. He waits until everyone is gone, nobody says anything to him. He sighs deeply. Nobody cares about him, not that it's bad, he can do anything he wants. Shindou notices the pain is his leg is slowly fading away. As he walks to his room to change and to look how to use his bandage, he doesn't notice Minaho who stands at the corner on the corridor, spying on Shindou.
"How is this thing supposed to work?" Shindou looks at the description on the box of his bandage. The dark blue band made of neoprene has some Velcro fasteners. He looks at the box again. "Oh, that way." He moves the bandage under his foot, oblique over his lower leg and fastens it. He doesn't feel any pain anymore. What a relief. Shindou moves carefully his shinquards over the bandage, which he covers with the blue and white socks. He's ready.
During the training, Shindou starts to feel dizzy, due to not having breakfast. But his stomach feels weird, really weird, like he could vomit every moment. And that's strange, because he didn't eat anything. At 10 a.m. he can't hold it any longer and walks off the field to the bathroom. Just in time because a flow of yellow fluid is about to come out. It stinks like heck and Shindou tries to wash it away. He tries to walk over to the washing table on his unsteady legs to drink some water.
Minaho saw his suspect teammate leave and walks around in the corridors, trying to find Shindou and catch him. He walks towards the bathroom as he hears some retching sounds. Minaho walks in guessing where the sour smell comes from as he finds Shindou leaning against the wall. "Shindou, what happened?"He asks carefully.
What do you think about this?
