A/N: Well, this took longer than I thought. I got wind up on something again. Forgive me for that but I can say that the next one isn't taking that long though. I got it figured out now. Btw, don't forget about how Endou's OOC here (I made him more dense in this story more than in canon. The same goes for his abilities, tbh. He's not as strong either. Not yet, at least). And have I ever mentioned that there are no magical hissatsus in this story? Well, there isn't. Soccer matches are completely normal but the spirits do used them to 'attack.'
Also, thank you so much to all those who favorited and followed!!
Replies on the Previous Chapter: (Replies for the Prologue is in Chapter 1)
Mizuki Kokoa: Oh thank goodness people think it's actually funny. I got worried for a second there. I thought it was kinda forced. But yes, I introduced you to the magnificent friendship of Gouenji and Someoka. They're actually my BroTP so you'll expect them burning each other even more! Plus, Someoka's the only one Gouenji allows to enter his great mirror dimension so you can just see how close they are despite being totally mean when it comes to their interactions. Thank you so much again!!
The Real Runey: Endou will forever be a soccer freak in all my stories lmao. Also, I was honestly waiting for someone to mention why they're all so young (died young, to be more precise) unfortunately I can't tell why. You have to stay tune to find out XD. And thank you! Glad I didn't overdo the whole description thing because I do that sometimes (well, a lot of times). The review is well appreciated!
Original Word Count: 3,461
Version 3.0: 3,480 words
Without further ado, I give you le chapter 2~
= The Gardener at the Top Floor =
Kick off!! Kick off!! Kick off!!
Endou groaned at the thundering sound. Almost immediately, he slammed his soccer-themed alarm clock to silence as he shrank back in the protection of his blanket. He sighed at the undisturbed serenity that followed and almost went back to continue his blurry dream. Well, almost.
Kick off!! Kick off!! Kick off!!
Endou groaned for the second time. Of course it was going to ring again. Had he forgotten that the only way to hit the stop button was by not literally hitting it? He had to spin a small wheel at the back of the alarm clock in the exact same pattern as what his dear mother put in it before they parted. It was her own way of making sure that her son wouldn't run late in her absence. Miraculously though, it proved to be efficient enough to get Endou out of bed. He didn't use his head a lot after all so making it function early in the morning was apparently the best solution to his tardiness.
Giving up to the noise, Endou sat up as he tried to open an eye. He let the blanket slide off him as he reached for the epitome of technological advancement and forcefully pull up both eyelids. After a couple of seconds of pondering about the pattern, he turned the wheel left and right in different ranges.
If he had something to compare it to, he could say that it was just like opening a safe full of gold bars. The value part mostly because he had to carefully point the arrow to the right number as to not ring the alarm that, according to his metaphor, would be the reason for his capture — only in this case, to simply not spend more time listening to the supposedly fun and engaging sound of 'Kick off!!' that now just left a disgusting taste on his mouth everytime it woke him in the morning.
His fizzled success got him up and limping to the bathroom that was stationed just in front of his room's door. With a slow turn of the doorknob, he entered and switched on the blinding light. Slightly cringing at the strain on his eyes, a sink with a broken tap — confirmed by the occasional dripping water — complete with a soap and a toothbrush in a glass, presented to him as well as a lonely yet clean white toilet bowl just beside it. Way further from the door was a small open space with an orange plastic curtain folded on the side and a metallic shower head on the upper wall. There wasn't a single window inside so the exhaust above the first part of the room proved to be a practical choice design-wise.
Finally well-adjusted to the light, he tiredly stepped his bare feet on the white tiles and crooned his head to the sink.
'If I didn't need to clean last night, I would have had enough sleep...' he thought tiredly as he saw his reflection at the mirror, the bags under his eyes and the obvious red lines in it played a great role for reminding him why he wasn't feeling particularly hyped that morning despite it being his most awaited Sunday training.
After opening the faucet, he cupped both hands and splashed the icy water on his face. He then reached for the soap when suddenly…
Click!
The place instantly went dark. Endou, unfaltered with the happening, simply switched the light on unsuspectingly and went on with his original plan.
After an undisturbed face wash, Endou raised his head to take his time looking at himself before thinking of reaching for the towel directly behind him.
Click!
Without as much as a single warning, he was covered in darkness once again.
"Great," he muttered as he reached for the switch. Yet before he could turn the lights on again, his fingers made contact with something quite unusual. Guided by his curiosity alone, he turned his body to the oddity's direction with the extension of both hands above his head. The fruit of his inspection were definitely nothing like he'd ever thought of.
At first it was plump, dry and wet all at the same time, much like a raisin but as big and refreshing as a watermelon. Then there was the ice cold flesh-like feel to it, almost like frozen meat without any indication of life. The inspection he was making continued going up as he felt something again. Small bridge-like thing—wait. Was that.. a nose.. and then.. bulgy ovals— eyes?!
Click!
To his surprise, a flash of light intervened with his slowly adjusting night-vision and covered his chocolate orbs in blur. Raising his arms then blinking in response, he caught sight of something wide, huge, and… green?
'Hulk?!' Endou thought as his eyes were still keeping up with the information flowing in his system. Before he could react, two hands clapped on his arms and ascended him from the ground. "W—Whoa.. Hey! Put me down!! What're yo—"
Hovering a meter from the ground, Endou had to put his complaining aside as he finally confirmed that what he was touching earlier was indeed a face, and a rather large one at that. His gaze continued on exploring as it connected to deadly pale cold features with a spread collection of dewdrops, then to a ball of messy grassy green eating up the said face from the top in a shape of a helmet, a triangular moist pink nose came next, followed by slightly parted dry thick lips, and finally, sullen almost stretch out black irises right at the center of two blank eyes that his own couldn't seem to break from.
The sound of water drops and the smell of something rotten was the only thing that distracted Endou enough for him to notice the tea green jumpsuit that's sticking to the other's skin.
"En…dou… san…" To second his confusion, what seemed to be a man carrying him talked in an ill-mannered tone. The emptiness in his eyes and apathy from his features seemed to be acceptable enough for Endou until it suddenly shifted to a horrendous sight.
"Drown!" The angry voice echoed just in time for the eyes and mouth to atrociously widen in unison. Water from the tap and the shower flowed simultaneously in great force, making a sound equal to that of a waterfall.
Just as Endou was getting suspended in the air towards the sink, his shock was suspended for what suddenly flew towards his carrier's head.
After blinking a couple of times, he eventually confirmed what it was. Yet before he had the luxury to mention it, his face was already nearing the sink.
"H—Hey wait!!" Endou contested as he flailed his arms.
"You. Can't. Escape!!" The man let out a guttural scream again as Endou's face was mere inches from the almost full sink.
"B-But… you have a cockroach on your head!!"
All movements — the flowing water included — stopped upon Endou's declaration and he felt how the taller male's hands were starting to shake.
"Buuuuuuug!!" He shouted in a less than dignified fashion as he tossed Endou on the hard ground.
The brunette watched him as he circled the place and eventually passed through the wall effortlessly.
"So, he didn't like bugs, huh," Endou spoke to himself as he brushed off the imaginary dirt on his pajamas. When a minute's passed and the other male didn't come back, Endou just shrugged and decided to continue on with his business.
After a satisfying shower, Endou stepped out his bedroom already dressed in his training gear with his hair dripping on the yellow orange shoulders and white collar while holding a pair of white orange-accented gloves. His school's long sleeved green soccer uniform with yellow-orange accents bore a proud lightning bolt emblem on the left part of it's chest. He wore it with green shorts and his favorite orange headband.
The moment Endou walked to his living room, he felt a sudden drop in temperature. He glanced at the air condition above the sofa to learn that it wasn't tampered with. Brushing off his confusion, he continued on his initial plan and stopped right in front of the table that only featured a well-placed bowl of oranges. And there and then, he felt a chill run down his spine.
"What's with this— wait what?!" He said in shock as he saw his uniform's hem flutter. All of a sudden, a strong wind current began to circulate in the room and he saw small objects ascend around him. "What what what what what?!" He chanted as he started hovering in the air.
He then looked around, trying to figure out how to get down. Yet now that he had a better view he realized that there was a flash of blue constantly circling the place. After blinking then rubbing his eyes with his fists to make sure he wasn't daydreaming, he made a backflip and smiled. "Hey… my hair's getting dried up! Thanks Wind-san!!"
Just as the words left his mouth, the wind slowly settled down and dropped him carefully on his behind, almost as if like how a mother put down her craddled baby.
"You… really think my wind's helpful?"
Endou tilted his head as he wondered where the aquamarine-haired male who's wearing what seemed to be a blue, white, and black spandex came from.
"Um… yeah… it dried my hair. Here look!" Endou said, immediately forgetting about his worries as he held one lock of bangs to show his new friend.
With a soft chuckle, the other teen extended a white gloved hand of which Endou accepted in glee. Now that he was standing face to face with the taller male, he couldn't help but notice his chestnut tinted orb — the one that wasn't hidden by his bangs — his long hair with seemingly floating ends, and his lips curving in a sincere smile.
"The name's Kazemaru! My friends call me The Dark Emperor," he said after showing his hand again.
Endou opened his mouth to speak but stopped as he heard an almost unintelligible, "No.. we don't.."
The brunet turned his head left and right then around the room but couldn't find where it came from. He decided that it was probably just his imagination. He stared back at the awkwardly smiling Kazemaru and grinned his bright signature one.
"I'm Endou! Endou Mamoru!" He said cheerfully as he took Kazemaru's hand and shook it.
"Wow… strong grip…" Kazemaru complimented as he retracted his hand.
"I play goalkeeper!" He answered as cheerfully as ever as he pointed at his uniform, delighted to meet someone new. A new friend did mean a new person he could talk about soccer with after all.
"Oh, I heard… I also heard that you practice by punching a large tire tied on a tree," Kazemaru said with a look of amusement.
"Whom did you hear that from?" Endou wondered. As much as he was concerned, only Fubuki and Kudou knew about his training and knowing that the two weren't actually as friendly as he was, he found it almost impossible that they'd tell Kazemaru about it. "And wait a sec, how did you get in here??"
"I can passed through walls…" Kazemaru answered as a matter of factly of which confused Endou even more.
"Eh?! How can that even—" Endou stopping mid sentence got Kazemaru's upper face to darken. A smirk that seemed foreign to the first persona he showed, crept up. He watched as the soccer loving teen's face contorted to that of a terrified realization.
"Gaaaahhh!!"
Kazemaru raised his head higher than he did before and stared menacingly at the brunet who was holding his head.
"I have practice today!! Where's my rope?!" Endou exclaimed as he ran to his room, remembering that he left it under his bed.
"Erm.. I—um… I'm going to take my leave then…" Endou didn't hear the parting words nor the sweatdrop he caused Kazemaru as he passed through the wall behind his sofa.
Soon after, Endou ran back out — with a rope and his gloves in hand — and plugged out all his appliances and almost tripped as he made his way to the door, instantly forgetting everything that transpired and eating breakfast altogether.
He locked his apartment behind him and slipped the key in his pocket as he increased his speed and dashed to the Elevator 1; not to use it, but to go to its left and raced down the staircase.
"Never use the elevator on our training days," he remembered Kudou said as he continued on his way unfaltered.
After passing three floors and landing on the first, he carefully looked around. He observed the elevator, wondering if it's being used; then the hollow hallways, extremely joyful to know it's as empty as it had always been. He tiptoed his way to yet another part of the Emergency Exit at the back of the first floor stairs, his steps as light as he could get them.
Giving one last look first, he then entered the dark stairway and reached the end. The steel double door bombarded by an old broken cabinet and what seemed to be a table caught his sight before landing on the object that he contributed — a truck tire.
Twindling the rope on his left now-gloved hand and inserting his right arm in the tire to rest it on his shoulder, he climbed up, stopping only to peer his head first — no one was allowed to go down the last set of stairs after all, the basement being forbidden and all — then quietly sprinted back to the entrance of the stairs above and climbed those beyond.
Endou frowned as he passed the tenth floor. "Will Kudou-san believe me if I tell him that I got late because I suddenly flew?" He wondered aloud as he chased his breath.
"Who am I kidding?! He'll never believe that excuse!!" Endou whined as his feet finally landed on the last step, coming face to face with the rusty once blue metal door. "Well, here goes nothing.." he said only slightly panting as the sound of hinges echoed on the empty staircase.
"Why are you late?" Came the emotionless greeting from a purple-haired adult wearing what seemed to be a violet trouser and dark blue pants covered by a long pink-colored apron.
Endou squirmed in place at Kudou Nichiya's intense glare. "I—I just… woke up late…" he answered, his eyes swaying hesitantly at his right where the dry arc-shaped swimming pool was — which was one of the only non-ecological existence on the rooftop (the second being the water tank on the farther side of the U-shaped floor).
Kudou narrowed his eyes and pointed behind Endou. "Another round of the stairs or the truth?"
Endou gulped before finding his voice again, "M—My room suddenly had a cyclone and then I flew… and then, and then…"
"Accepted. Now, let's tie that up."
"Wha—?!" Endou caught himself up from falling at the fast response then shook his head. "I mean… Y—Yes sir!"
Endou couldn't help but review the place as they followed the path on his left. Now that he was more calm, he enticed himself by sniffing the fresh and flower scented air. He watched the grassy ground and supporting shrubs around, reminiscing the times he had on their own garden that he took care of himself. It wasn't exactly because he initially wanted to. It was simply because he was the one entrusted to the chore being the only child and the only one in his nuclear family having a green thumb.
Speaking of which, he never seized to wonder why and how could the cemented rooftop have gotten grass above it. He wouldn't call himself an expert on such subjects but he was certain that plants didn't work like that.
He decided to once questioned Kudou about it but all he ever got was, "Don't ask. You'll get the guardian upset."
Endou couldn't understand that answer at all. He couldn't tell if he was joking or if he just wanted Endou to stay quiet while he's in his… well, territory. Although, he did doubt that he could ever understand the mystery that was Kudou Nichiya in the first place.
Endou was logged out his thoughts at the tap on his shoulder. Knowing already what it was for, he answered by handing his tire — of which Kudou sinply balanced on the ground — as he tied one of the ends of the rope to it. This action was followed by his excited bounce as he tossed the other end on the healthy brown and maroon leaved tree's branch. Kudou took that end with care, pulled it down, and easily tied it on place.
Endou took Kudou's nod and retreat as a sign for him to start on his training. Even with the 'gardening things' he was upto, Endou could tell that the adult kept a good eye out for him, watching him intently as he finished the man's challenge to him.
He punched the heavy object, making it move slightly. He launched his left fist, smiling as he slowly increased the force. After four more, he finally retreated his right fist to get a momentum as he readied for his strongest punch. "Oryaa!!" The gloved knuckles accompanied by the shout was released and the target swung. Feeling more pumped up than ever, Endou grinned and aimed his left hand for the nearing tire and continued on in this pace.
"Forty.. nine! Fif..ty…" Endou almost passed out as he punched with the last of his strength. "Only.. forty-nine.. huh…" he said in between pants. Disappointment lingered in his chest as he watched how, not his punch, but only gravity made the tire swing back. Biting his lip, he closed his eyes as he wondered if this was truly his limit— if this was truly what he could only offer.
"If you could make the tire swing one-hundred times, I'll teach you everything I know."
Endou remembered Kudou's promise about three weeks ago. It was made right after he found out about Kudou's background and how he used to be a star player, not to mention a legend at that, and confronted him about it. He then remembered every match Kudou played in his high school years — all thanks to the one who uploaded them in MeTube — and how far off his talent was from him despite being the same age as he was now. He remembered how much he wanted to play soccer. How much he wanted to be good at it. How he even started playing in the first place…
He opened his chocolate-flavored eyes with renewed determination and closed his right knuckles firmly. Just as he was about to swing, Kudou suddenly spoke in a bland tone.
"Is punching all you could ever do?"
The baffled Endou ubruptly stopped and remained staring at the older man as he went back to looking at his beloved plants. 'What did he mean by—'
Before he could even finish his train of thought a rubbery object, he now discerned as the tire, hit him right on his face, making him fall on his back in a crash.
"Ouch…" Endou cradled his strained face as he tried to get up.
"That's enough for today," Kudou — who suddenly appeared in front of him — told him with a ghost of a caring tone.
"Yes, sir. Thank you so much for today," after standing successfully on two feet, Endou gave a ninety-degree-bow.
Kudou brought the tire down the grass as usual and carefully arranged the rope before giving it to Endou. When the teen carried it on his shoulder, bowed one last time, and turned on his heel to leave, Kudou called after him in a hard tone.
"Wait."
Endou abruptly stopped for the second time that day and glanced at Kudou bewildered.
The man adopted a serious expression, more serious than his usual one, and spoke with his pink gloved hands on his back, "What are the three rules of 4F?"
Endou hardened his gaze then straightened his back as he answered, "Rule No. 1: Don't ever stumble the can by the doorstep!" He screamed with heart. "Rule No. 2: Never let the bowl on your table run out of oranges!" He said next with more than a determined tone. "Lastly and most importantly, Rule No. 3: Never ever break the mirror!!" He thundered as he returned Kudou's stern features with one of his.
Kudou only nodded sharply and Endou took this as his cue to leave.
"And you better keep those rules to heart like your life depended on it," Kudou muttered at the now closed door.
= End of Chapter II =
A/N: First off, sorry for the long A/N.
Endou's legit height is 158 cm, Kabeyama is 188 cm, and Kazemaru is 160cm in case you're wondering. Since Kabeyama died at the same age in canon and Endou is just two to three years older, there really isn't much difference. And yes, Endou's wearing the Go's uniform, it's kinda weird for me to be imagining him in Sangoku's clothing but well.. I'll leave you to think why is that.
Whew.. this was the longest I've written that just stayed in one perspective. I hope it didn't bother anyone tho.
Also, following the 'Confession's' reasoning, you can say for sure that the next chapter is Fubuki-centric. Other characters will be making their debut too!
Another thing, if you're interested I have this new book called 'Not-so-Treasure Chest' with cutscenes, drabbles, alternate chapters, and alternate endings of my other series (it's honestly easier to just compile them rather than make a book for each) and the first chapter's a Best Place for Both Worlds' drabble that happened twenty something years ago from this timeline.
Lastly, do mention if you spotted any mistakes (especially if there are brackets, I used them to identify which I should italized so I might forget to erase them) or if you find this chapter 'lacking' and what made it so. Because I honestly see something off here but I can't seem to find it. Btw, I plan to have a betareader on my finished series (only finished ones since they might get impatient with me and my lack of updates) but seeing that I still haven't got one that I completed, it proves to be a problem, lol. But just mention if you see some typos or any errors and I'll edit immediately. Thanks for the read and constant support!
Confession: Honestly, I was pretty much conflicted of what to publish in this chapter. Originally, it was supposed to be a Fubuki-centered one since he's a lot more observant than Endou and I wanted to use that opportunity to describe more of the place that I haven't yet as well as the dynamics of their friendship. But then, it's kinda awkward if I'll suddenly jump in his perspective if the MC is Endou himself and Endou still wasn't given that much characterisation yet. Hence, me going with this route.