CHAPTER TEN
Ken called as many of the gang as they could, but not everyone could come due to being too busy to just excuse themselves that day, in spite of the excitement, but they promised to at least watch on TV, or listen to the radio broadcast.
Still, some managed to make it- Tai, Jun, Kari, Yolei for sure, and even TK had come, to be there for his friends.
The three Digi Destined, and Jun all stood on the terraces of stadium. All of them were dressed in their JFS jackets or sweaters due to the cool autumn breeze.
Kari looked sideways at Yolei, "This so awesome!"
Yolei nodded, "I can't believe my boyfriend is actually in a match this huge."
"Speak for yourself." said Jun "I'm supposed to be with my fiancé to discuss plans for our wedding, and he blows me off so he can compete with my brother in a soccer match this big?"
"Jun!" snapped Tai "This is a huge milestone for Davis, and Ken too."
"I know that, I'm just way overly excited."
Cheers suddenly erupted around the stadium as the players jogged out of the tunnel and onto the field.
An announcer boomed from the callbox overhead. "WELCOME TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE JAPAN YOUTH PREMIERSHIP!"
The crowds cheered even more wildly.
On This beautiful day, we are going to watch Japanese Football Society youth team against the Tokyo Tornados!"
Kari and Yolei joined in the cheers; their voices were rising with the rest.
The announcer rattled through the names of the Tornados, then moved on to JFS.
"In goal we have: Andy McNamara!"
Cheers greeted the name.
The announcer went through the rest of the team, and the crowds cheering escalated.
"And next we have some home-grown talent! An emergency substitution, but we aren't complaining…
…In his first JFS match, Kenyato Ichijochi!"
Yolei cheered so loud you'd think she'd lose her voice.
Ken looked up and saw her, and he smiled brightly at her as he joined his teammates.
"Finally, in his debut match for JFS, The new Youth Captain, Big it up for DAISUKE MOTOMIYA!"
The young man ran out to catch up to his teammates. The crowds cheered the loudest ever.
Jun threw hew pompons up high called out, "That's my little bro out there!"
"Go Davis!" TK and Tai shouted.
Yolei jumped for joy, but Kari just looked at him as he ran towards the other boys, and watched him high-five with them, especially with Ken.
Her smile widened as she saw him being praised by his teammates and the crowds. She felt so proud of him, and at the same so happy just to see him, even if he was far down below and away.
He looked over towards the crowds, and actually spotted her almost at once, and their eyes met, and he smiled softly at her, and he waved to her, and she nodded at him.
TK could see the magic between them, and he knew more in his own heart that what they had was real.
Davis' team members huddled together, ready to listen to their captain's words."
"I want us to play a defensive game for the first period. We can't risk any of our players being injured."
The team members were uneasy about this.
"You sure we should play defense?" asked Andy.
"Trust me," said Davis "I have another plan, but it will only work if we play defensive."
The players all looked back and forth between one another.
"I'm with you Davis." Ken said, and then he said to the other players "We have to trust him."
Soon all the players concurred, and then called "BREAK!" and took their positions for the game to start.
Davis and Ken jogged to the centre line. Neither spoke, the silent communication that went on between them was enough to tell each other the others thoughts.
Davis kicked the ball from the centre spot, and the game started.
The players went like crazy all across the field, kicking the ball all around and all over.
"KEN!" Davis shouted as he kicked the ball straight for him.
Ken leapt up and intercepted the ball with his chest, but as he landed on the ground, the ball was stolen by the other team, and headed straight for Andy and his goal post.
POW! The player kicked the ball, and Andy wasn't able to stop it!
"No!" Andy shouted.
The tornados cheered like crazy, along with a good deal of the crowds.
Score: 1-0
Davis then called a small Time Out to huddle his team together.
"Davis, what are you thinking?!" one of the players complained.
"Trust me, it's working." Davis said, "Now, for the rest of the period, we're just going to play Keep-Away. No matter what happens, keep the ball on their side of the field, but don't even try to go for the goal."
This time, even Ken was skeptical about Davis' plan.
"But what if we get the perfect opening?"
"Don't score!" Davis snapped "Trust me; I know what I'm doing."
The boys were still unsure of this, but they had to trust him.
The whistle blew, and the ball was kicked off.
Ken passed the ball to Davis, and Davis kicked it to another player. Then back and forth the ball was passed.
"What are they doing?" asked Yolei.
"They're just playing Keep-Away." said TK.
The patterns just seemed to keep going and going.
Many people in the crowd began to protest and chatter away as the clock kept winding down and Davis' team wasn't making any attempt to score.
Kari watched as the same routine just kept on going with great curiosity. She had seen Davis play many times, but never like this before.
Tai was the only one who could see through the strategy, "Pretty clever." he muttered.
Jun looked at him, "What do you mean?"
"Just watch, I think know what's going on."
Only seconds were left in the first period, and Davis and his team were still playing Keep-Away, but then, one of the players cracked under pressure, and headed for the goal post.
"No, don't!" shouted Davis, but the player already made a shot towards the goal, and it was caught by the goalie and tossed back to the Tornado's offense players, and with all the other players on the other side of the field, they scored easily.
Score: 2-0
The whistle blew, and the period was up!
The Tornados were huddling in a big group hug and cheering, while Davis' team was groaning and now unsure of themselves.
Davis was very annoyed with the insubordination from the other player who tried to score, and he would have scolded the daylights out of him had he not felt it wasn't that bad.
"The plan still worked." he declared.
"What plan?" asked Ken "We're down, 2-Nothing."
The other players were starting to protest to Davis' strategy as well, but Davis assured them, "Don't you get it? They're all tuckered out now because they've been trying so hard and playing all rough at the start.
Now we can unleash our strength and give it to them."
Twenty minutes later, after the rest period…
Up on the terraces, Kari saw a camera panning towards her.
She suddenly grabbed a large sheet of cardboard, which she had spotted earlier lying in the gangway. It had a large print of the JFS logo on one side, but the other was white.
Pulling a lipstick from her purse, she wrote four words on the white side.
When she had finished, the second period was ready to begin as the players resumed their potisions
The Tornados were still looking a little beat despite their trying to hide it.
They were about to make the kickoff, when Davis looked over at the crowd, right into Kari's eyes. He read the sign she was holding…
"I BELIEVE IN YOU!"
Davis felt a rush of energy flood over him. If Kari believed in him, then he was going to turn this match around just as he had planned.
"Let's go!" he called to his team.
The boys hollered, and they followed him into action!
Davis ran forward, heading towards the goal. Ken crossed the ball over to him, and Davis leapt into the air, flipping backwards in a perfect bicycle-kick.
His foot connected with the ball, and it flew like a bullet towards the goal. It scraped past the goalies fingers and slammed into the back of the net.
Score: 2-1.
A loud cheering erupted from the stadium. JFS was back on track.
Fifteen minutes later, a player had the ball at his feet, and sent it winging through the air towards Davis. He caught it on his chest, but the defenders were ready, and he didn't have a chance of getting past them, even with their fatigue.
Ken was already past them though. There was only one defender between him and the goal. Davis sent the ball lofting over the defenders heads towards his friend- too high!
It was going to go over Ken to the goalie, but as the ball sailed towards him, Ken suddenly leapt up into the air and, seemingly defying gravity, slammed his head against the ball's leather. It flew into the top corner of the goal, as the goalie leapt in the wrong direction.
Score: 2-2.
Davis saw the ref looking at his watch- bringing the whistle to his mouth, but as Ken landed, the Tornados' defender brought his leg around in a sweep that took Ken's feet out from under him.
"KEN!" cried Yolei "He tripped up my boyfriend! I demand justice!"
The others agreed with her, and the crowd began to boo the tripper.
The ref blew his whistle in one short breath!
He strode over to the tornado defender. Ken had landed badly, and his ankle felt sore under him. Davis ran over and helped him up.
"You okay?"
"It's not twisted or sprained, just sore. I'll be fine."
Davis shook his head. They looked up. The ref reached into his pocket and pulled out a red card.
The Tornados' defender walked off in shame.
"Check out where you're standing. It's not over yet."
Ken looked down. A white painted line marked the penalty box around the goal. He and Davis were firmly planted two yards in.
Then an announcement was heard, "Penalty Kick, JFS."
This was it! One shot left- one chance to win.
Ken looked up at his friend.
"It should be you, Davis. Make us proud."
The other man nodded. A couple of fellow players helped Ken over to the bench, as Davis turned back to the goal.
The ball was placed the ball on the penalty spot.
The crowd around Kari went completely silent. A huge intake of breath, drawn in, held.
Kari saw Davis falter, ready to take the shot, down on the pitch, the miniscule figure paused.
Kari stood up, drew in a deep breath, and cupping her hands around her mouth, shouted with all her heart.
"YOU CAN DO IT DAVIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!"
Davis turned back and looked at her in the crowd.
Their eyes met.
"Come on, man!" Tai called.
"Go, bro!" added Jun.
TK and Yolei hollered and cheered for him too.
Ultimately, Davis only kept his eyes fixed on Kari, and even from the vast distance that separated them, he could feel something very strong emitting from her and hitting him squarely in the heart.
He felt his strength rush back into him, and drew back a couple of paces from the ball.
The leather missile flew through the air like a bullet, the Tornados goalie reached out to stop it...
The ball flew straight and true. The Tornados' goalie chipped it with his hands as it went past, it shifted course upwards, bounced off of the bottom of the crossbar, and hit the back of the net.
FINAL SCORE: 3-2.
The crowds went wild! Jun jumped into Tai's arms.
Yolei and TK hugged, but all Kari did was smile so happily, her eyes flooded with tears.
Davis collapsed to his knees, relief washing over him. He felt himself being picked up by his teammates.
As they got changed out of their gear, showered and were ready to go and celebrate, Ken hobbled over to Davis.
"There's a celebration dance tonight at the school. You want come along, as mine and Yolei's guest?"
Davis gave his friend a queer look, "Even as graduates we still have to go back to school?"
Ken chuckled at the idea too.
"I'll be there. I've have to watch you try and dance on that thing." he indicated Ken's sore.
"Trust me, I've had worse." said Ken "It'll be better by tonight."
John Tanner suddenly called from the door.
"Davis, there's someone here to see you. The rest of you, first round's on me."
A cheer came up from round the room, and the team went out the door. Davis grinned at their backs, and put his foot up on the bench to do his shoelace.
"Hello Davis."
He whipped around to the door in shock. Kari stood there, her blue clothes matching the ribbon that was in her hair. The same colour as JFS' strip.
"It's been a while, Kari." he said to her
Kari looked nervous. She held up her hand, Davis's goggles lay in her palm.
"I thought you might like these back..." but Davis shook his head.
"They're yours now. They were something to remember me by."
"I don't need these to remember you. I couldn't forget you if I wanted to."
Davis's brown head dipped down to his chest. He didn't look up as he spoke.
"Why are you here, Kari?" he asked.
"Because I wanted to know something."
"What's that?"
"Do you still love me Davis?"
There was a long pause. Neither of them moved. Finally Davis looked up.
"Yes, Kari. I will always love you; Now, Forever, and Always."
But still neither made a move towards each other. They stood at opposite ends of the room, like chess pieces prepared for battle.
Finally Kari spoke again.
"Then, do you think... we could give it a try?"
His head snapped upright, "What?" he asked with his face blushing like crazy.
He looked at her, and he could see the nervous expression on her face, and her cheeks were as red as his.
Her eyes pierced into his as she desperately waited for a response.
Davis really thought deeply about it. After all the pain, misery, and bad luck to happen to them, and here she was- the woman of his dreams asking him to really date her.
"Davis," she said ever so softly, snapping him out of his trance.
He looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes, making his own tears start to fall.
"… I love you, Davis."
Wow! Those words, those five simple words he had wanted to hear since only forever, striking him right in parts of his body he never knew he had, and it felt so warm, so comforting.
There was no more questioning it.
He softly approached her, and looked deeply into her eyes as a loving smile appeared on his face.
"Yes… Kari…" he said "We can try. I want to, as long as we promise one thing to each other."
She looked up at him, "What's that?"
He hesitated a moment and spoke very softly "From now on, no more secrets- we be openly honest with each other, about our feelings and our troubles."
Kari smiled as livingly as ever, and then before she knew it, Davis had leaned forward, softly pressing his lips against hers. She closed her eyes, wrapped her arms round his neck and the kiss grew deeper and more passionate.
The two had never felt like this before.
Davis felt as if he was floating on a warm cloud that made his body feel so light that the air could pass through him
Kari felt warm too, even warmer than she ever did with TK. She would never forget him, and all the times they had, but now she was here with her true love, and ready to start over again.
They finally separated, and looked at each other deeply.
"I'll see you at the dance?" he asked.
"I'll be there." she promised him while caressing his face.
Then she had to leave, and Davis kept watching as she walked through the door and stopped a moment to look back at him.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Then she was gone.
He stood squarely on the spot, as if he had forgotten how to walk. He felt so at ease, so warm and loving he just didn't want to move and disturb this warmth.
Ken came back, passing Kari on the way and telling by the heavenly look on her face, he walked right over to him and patted his back, "Way to go, Davis."
Davis could only sigh.