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Raphael could have growled.
All he wanted was a peaceful day on his first day of school, was that too much to ask!?
The first years had to sit through a welcoming ceremony in the grand hall, all that standard, listening to a big boned man drone on and on about making the most out of the time they had here while calling up those who had the highest scores in the entrance exams which included him thanks to all of his family breathing down his neck to ace the test.
Than they were given their time tables and a map of the whole school that neither of them could make heads all tails about and many had to ask for directions since the place was simply too huge.
The moment he sat down when he his first class came around and his first teacher for the year picked up his chalk, he know that Falcon Drive Academy was no ordinary school.
The level of education was on a whole different level than what you would usually expect and many began scribbling down notes like their lives depended on it while the instructor want from one topic to the next.
The Falcon Drive was a school designed to separate the capable from the struggling within days of each term as many who couldn't handle the pressure or the speed dropped out of the school.
Many of the first years would be expected to drop out before the end of the school year.
It was survive of the fittest here.
Raphael managed to make it to break before he noticed he was being watched.
He turned around slowly to find a head peaking at him behind a small wall.
"Join the soccer club. It is your destiny" it said.
Raphael understandably freaked out.
Ch 3: Finding Happiness
"Join" Usami said.
"No." He said.
"Join" Usami said.
"Can you just leave me alone?" Raphael asked, freeing his bike.
"Not until you join" Usami said slyly.
"For the last time. I don't play soccer." He said, thankfully the day was up but now he had an annoying guy riding alongside him on his way home.
"Why?" Usami asked, "What's not to like? Chick's love athletes. Joining the soccer club looks great on your CV and imagined how great it would feel to hold that golden cup"
This guy...Raphael thought with a sweat drop before saying "It's none of your business. My decision is final"
"But you're so good" Usami wined and Raphael saw his brother in place Usami at that moment and shuddered at the thought of another James in the world. "You got the talent. With you joining the team, the team as a whole would get a serious boost in power. It's such a shame, all that potential going to waste"
Raphael said, nothing as he increased his speed passed a certain house.
"Join" Usami said.
"No" Raphael said, extremely annoyed.
"Join" Usami said.
"No." Raphael said.
They went back and forth all the way to the house he was currently staying in.
"Nice neighbourhood" Usami said, looking around at the single houses.
"Go home" Raphael said, ready to pull his hair out.
"Join" Usami said.
"No." Raphael said, feeling his mental age along with several added years. They went back and forth all the way to the front door and before he could knock, the door swung up.
"Little brother your back! Come give your Nii-san a hug!" James said in English in a pink apron.
Raphael ignored him and walked straight passed him leaving James deflated before he saw a new face.
Usami mouth was wide open at the sight of the England Swimmer James Sanders in the flesh.
"Are you Raphy, friend?" James asked, hearing 'he's not my friend. He's my stalker' from his little brother.
"Can I have your autograph?" Usami asked in good enough English in a daze, there was no mistaken those purple eyes and now that he thought about it, the guy he was following also had the same shade of purple eyes.
He felt like an idiot for not seeing the resemblance between the two earlier, he had James picture as his screen saver!
"Sure" James said, "Any friend of my little brother is always welcome"
"He's not my friend. He's my stalker" Raphael said again, but of course his words fall on death ears as James went to look for a pen.
Usami sat slowly down, looking star struck, having heard that James would be in Japan and hoped to catch a glimpse while he was here but to actually meet the guy was a dream come true.
While Raphael thought, that at least his stalker was quiet.
"I've got a pen" James announced appearing in the doorway with a picture of himself in hand while Raphael decided to ignore both of them and catch up on some assigned homework.
"Who do I sign this too?" James asked, out of his apron and looking much more manlier in the process.
"U-Usami Kogure" Usual stuttered and James wrote down his name with a little message and gave the image to the slowly recovering boy.
"Do you want to stay for dinner?" James asked.
"Nii-san do not invite him. He won't leave" Raphael objected, having heard.
"Okay" Usami said quickly and Raphael kept in a groan.
This was going to be a long dinner.
And it was.
Once Usami got over the disease known as celebrityitis, he went on and on to James about how good it would be if Raphael were to join the soccer team and the benefits.
While the man himself listened, eyes wondering from time to time to the topic of discussion who was slowly losing his appetite.
Raphael didn't even get half way through the meal before he got up and announced he wasn't hungry anymore.
He stayed in his room until Usami had left.
"He's gone." James announced, sounding amused.
"Good. I'm going out. I need some air" Raphael said, missing the look of worry on his brother face as he grabbed his coat and took a long bag.
"Bye, Nii-san." Raphael said, closing the door, minutes later James went to get his coat and took his rental car.
#nearby Park#
Under the cover of darkness, Raphael unzipped the bag and got out a clearly warn out soccer ball.
He loved soccer so much.
He couldn't give up soccer no matter how hard he tried.
He dropped the ball and placed empty coke cans in a straight line, a space between each of them before running with the ball around each of them with a rear smile on his face.
If he didn't have to stay away from those people.
He kicked the ball in frustration.
He wanted to play.
He really wanted to play.
The ball was kicked back to him.
He looked up and was surprised to see James.
James had seen him kick the ball!
"Nii-san... I just found this ball." Raphael said, quickly picking the ball up and trying to put it back.
"Raphael we need to talk" James said, his voice was uncharacteristically serious and it made him pause, James always called him 'Raphy' instead of his full name.
His voice sounded just like their mother when she was leaving them with no choice.
"Can we talk somewhere more private?" He asked back, since you never know with late night joggers.
James agreed.
# Secluded Playground#
James sat on a swing, he hadn't been on a swing in years while Raphael sat next to him.
The atmosphere was so thick that you could cut a knife through it.
"Raphael..." James began, breaking the silence.
"Do you like soccer?" he asked.
"Nii-san, I-" Raphael was about to lie.
"Raphael don't lie to me" James said, his tone was sharp making him flinch before it became soft. "I'm worried about you. The whole family is worried about you"
Raphael said, nothing.
"I don't know what happened to you but it's so painful to see you sometimes" James said, "In the past when you kicked a soccer ball so freely. You look so happy, you had the biggest smile on your face when you were younger but then you stopped playing, you stopped smiling, you lost your shine, for me remembering that smiling child and then comparing the current you."
"What's wrong with the current me? I'm happy just the way I am" Raphael said, his hair hiding his eyes.
"Raphael you're not happy" James said, shutting him up "Right now it looks like you don't even know what to do with yourself, your going from day to day, aimlessly, it's so painfully seeing you deny a part of yourself." Looking at him quiet brother. "I love water, there is no hiding that. Rejecting it, is basically rejecting myself and I can't imagine my life without it. I think every Sanders is like that. We succeed in life because we do what we love. It's in our very DNA"
Raphael continued to say, nothing.
"Raphy, nobody is forcing you to tell me why you're hurting yourself but ask yourself this." James said.
"Is the fear worth killing a part of yourself off? Is it worth making yourself so unhappy?"
James got off at left.
Raphael just sat on the swing for what felt like hours.
"Damn it, Nii-san. Since when we're you so cool?" it was said, barely a whisper.
His hair hide how his eyes began to redden and tears began to roll down his face.
His brother was right.
What the hell was he doing?
He remembered how frustrated and helpless he felt when Kakeru had decided to quit soccer and become nothing more than manager because he couldn't walk away from soccer completely, he never felt so angered to see his little brother reject a part of himself that was clearly killing him off.
He could have laughed, he never thought that he would end up doing the same thing.
No matter how much he denied it Soccer played a huge part in his life.
It's was what made him, him.
He had spent two decades kicking around a ball, just because he could.
He had spent years thinking about nothing but soccer, he snuck out just to kick around a ball.
The only reason, he had stayed with Kakeru for so long even after his death was because of their shared love for the game.
He was an idiot.
So what if, people from his past suddenly know of his existence?
He much rather be happy under suspicion than live in fear and depression, constantly worrying his family.
Raphael stood up.
He had come to a decision.
#Falcon Soccer Clubroom#
"Usami, this is not the time to try and recruit that guy not when we have to prepare for the next match" Kaiden, the captain of the Soccer club said. "We need all the players to be in top form especially with that guy here."
"So he's in high school now?" Logan, one of the mid-fielders said. "To think he's one year younger than me…Well it goes to show you that a child born from two amazing parents, becomes pretty amazing too"
"Who are we talking about?" Cole, an American goal keeper said, confused like the other foreigners in the club.
"Don't worry about it" Kaiden said, "Hopefully somebody will boot his team out of the league early"
"Doubt it" Usami said, "After all, the guy has never lost a game." before smiling slyly. "Wouldn't it be awesome to end his winning streak?"
"Um...excuse me" A voice said, with a strong accent and Usami eyes widened with recognition as everyone turned around to see Raphael Sanders in the doorway.
"I would like to join the soccer club" He said.
And scene!
Finally done! Next chapter, the elderly Aizawa ponder on the mysterious boy who looks a little too much like their eldest son for comfort, who happens to cycle passed their house every day and try to approach him. Review/ Fav and follow!
