For Shiranai Atsune – sempai

Daaaang. Took me long enough!

Disclaimer: Nah, I couldn't have possibly created a really hot Fudou if I owned Inazuma Eleven. :P

3: The Ice Pick of Determination

Corny as it sounds, he was the first to break through her icecold heart.

"Wow, Fubuki, you really are the ladies' man." Kidou whistled.

For the past few days, Fubuki had worked extra hard just to gain Yusaburu's attention for a maximum of ten minutes. When he'd finally accomplished that, he struggled with getting her to practice with him, which took away some sleep, since Yusaburu was probably nocturnal or something. Then came the effort of having her do what the team did- together.

It was a tiresome job, but the development was worth it.

"Just give it up, will you?" Yusaburu panted heavily, pulling back her stray white strands back into the ponytail. "I don't want to practice with the team and I most certainly will not practice with you! Why are you even staying up late?" Fubuki was breathless as he wiped the sweat trailing down his face. He didn't answer Yusaburu; he only continued playing.

'Just like everyone else,' Fubuki remembered the time when Gouenji told him to listen to his teammates' voices through the soccer ball. The silver-haired striker had been grateful ever since. 'I want Suishou-chan to know she's not alone.'

As for the girl, she'd never been so irritated in her life. Fubuki wouldn't stop pestering her, and what was worse, she let him! She actually let him try to get to know her more. It was Kami-awful annoying. "Crystal Cannon!" She roared at Endou, her feelings clearly implied through her hissatsu. "Majin the Hand!" Endou countered just as swiftly. Just when the blue-eyed teen's shoot was about to make it in, Fubuki made her lose focus.

"Suishou-chan, don't use your anger to fuel your shoots! Be calm!" He yelled 'helpfully' across the field. At that same moment, the shoot cracked, and Endou caught the ball with ease. "Yeah, Suishou!" Endou waved encouragingly from his post. "Sakka is all about fun!"

"Just. Stop. Bugging me. Already!"

She was past her boiling point already, and it had been with one of the most good-natured persons in the team as well. "Just how far are you going to push me before I drop dead?" Yusaburu pulled on her hair, just to remind herself she was still breathing. Fubuki tentatively led her outside to the field, where a lone soccer ball idled. The girl was at her wits' end. "Fubu—"

But the boy wasn't.

Even when he should've been the one to complain about her stubbornness and obstinacy to his coaxing, Fubuki never whined about Yusaburu's resistance; he just held on longer. "Yusaburu-chan," He whispered softly to the wind as he hugged her comfortingly, "You have to tell me what you feel, deep inside," He continued, his voice as soothing as ever. "You can't keep holding everything in. Eventually, you'll have to let it out, you know." He heard her sniff discreetly in his arms.

"Why didn't you give up?"

"I…used to think that I was alone," Fubuki and Yusaburu were sprawled on the grass after a warm up match with the soccer ball they'd found earlier. "But every time I thought about that, Captain would appear and tell me that the whole team's always waiting for me. At first, I didn't believe him," He turned to glance at Yusaburu's calculating eyes. "I just couldn't after being alone for so long."

"But you have your Hakuren friends back at Hokkaido."

"Admiration is the level farthest from understanding," Fubuki sadly quoted from a BLEACH character. "They respected me because I was strong, but they never asked me about Atsuya or anything. They thought I didn't care, so they didn't either. But Endou…he's different—"

"He's nosy."

The blue-eyed boy chuckled. "But it was because he's nosy that we've all gone this far. Gouenji-kun, though not like Captain, helped me go through all my insecurities and taught me the real meaning of 'perfect'. If it weren't for him and Captain I would probably still be stuck in my horrible past with no one to help me…It's really great to have friends!" As Fubuki let out a contented sigh, Yusaburu couldn't help but free her eyes of a foreign burning sensation she had rarely felt.

She hadn't cried in such a long time.

The former Galourmore captain's voice was bitter with frustration. "It doesn't always work that way. You're lucky everything always turns out right for you!" She sobbed miserably. "But how will you know if you won't let us help?" Fubuki was able to wipe her tears without losing a muscle. "You never know until you try, right?" The blackette sniffed with a small pout. "Stop your quoting, Fubuki."

"And when we do try, we'll try and try until we die!" He laughed mischievously. Yusaburu was cheering up, due to the constant Reize impressions. "Fubuki…ugh, you and your corny quotes."

"But we're not going to die that quickly. Never say never! Dattebayo!"

"…Seriously?"

Slowly, but ever so surely, Suishou Yusaburu was blossoming into a better version of herself. For Fubuki, he thought that was her best version yet.

For Yusaburu, it was a big first step, and one that she didn't regret making. She still had spats with Fudou and Kogure, but everyone- save for Fuyuka and Haruna- else did too, so it was normal. Endou got fired up and taught her the sakka she learned to love and enjoy, and by the end of each session, she thanked Endou-sama for the life-changing sakka practices. The direst change in her though, was the one where she opened her heart out to Fubuki. Endou-sama, sometimes, but it was Fubuki who reached out to her and managed to save her from the darkness she built to cage herself in.

She'd never been happier.

Yoikes. Pretty long compared to the first two…you think this is better than a two-page, half-assed chapter? I'd like to know your opinions, readers (SERIOUSLY)! So please review! :)

-AniMa