DayDream: I love that everyone has been adding me or my story to their favorites, but I haven't been receiving that much feedback. If you could please actually write to me, Any kind of comment is accepted. It helps me write faster and totally makes my day! I take the criticism and use the ideas that some of you give me. I've been kind of busy with scholarships, I mean Senior year, baby! So naturally, it's a lot of work and that's why it's taken me forever to update.
Thanks to:
AmiH97. You were the only one whose name showed for the last chapter! Hope you all enjoy this one. A juicy secret is about to be revealed!


Chapter Eleven: How I Know You

"Hidaka! I want you to stay on your man, even after they pass you and the sweeper. You're a DEFENDER so DEFEND!"

Tazula gave Coach Matsu a sour look when his back was turned and then hung her head. It sucked being the new girl; he was bagging on her more than anyone else. She sucked up her sulky mood and took her position as defender once again. Her body still ached from the tackles she had received from her teammates. They had called it 'breaking her in'.

"I'm not going to tell you again," Nana hissed as she rotated her temporarily pained ankle, "if you don't fight, leave."

Tazula's jaw clenched. Sure, Nana and her hadn't gotten off on the right foot and they hardly talked, but telling her to leave? Leave? If they wanted to see her in action, then she would fuckin' defend, damnit! She set her herself in a ready stance, knowing that they were going to target her.

Kai's coal eyes locked onto Tazula's periwinkle ones. A silent message was spoken: 'You're mine, kōhai (junior, usually meant as in underclassmen or age wise).'

Tazula did her best not to give any outward emotion. If she was going to hit hard, then she would do it with a surprise as well. She saw the forwards dribbling the ball and easily making it past her team's forwards. Coach had clearly divided the mock teams well as her team's fullbacks and wings sprung into action. She tensed with anticipation as Nana beckoned her farther up. Damn! . . . Kuso! She shook her head; now was not the time to be trying to figure out what language to curse in. Both Kai and Hana had broken through and were charging right at them.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Nana smirk at her sister. Hana's normally kind features were ablaze with competitiveness. One word came to Tazula's mind: berserker. She glanced over at Nana, wondering if the spunky twin was always in a half-berserker mode of some sort.

"They're coming!" Nana warned, an impish smirk on her features.

Tazula shuddered. It was no wonder that the twins were feared when put together on the same field. She blinked and both forwards were less than five meters away.

"Come on, Hidaka-chan!" Amili shouted from the sidelines with Yoko backing her up.

Tazula took a deep breath and bolted after Kai, trying to keep her from gaining the ball. So far, Nana was doing a great job dribbling the ball away from her sister.

"You think it'll be any more different this time?" Kai whispered.

Tazula narrowed her eyes. "Hai, I don't intend for you to make it past our sweeper."

Kai laughed, "Can you back that up?" She slipped past Tazula and received the ball from Hana.

The new defender gritted her teeth and poured on speed. There was no way in hell she was going to let Kai have this victory. She dove, semi-slide tackling and semi-jumping at Kai.

Both girls rolled to a stop on the grass, Tazula's back hitting with a thump. The ball rolled off the field towards Coach Matsu.

"Well I'll be." Kai muttered, grinning. She propped herself on her right elbow to face Tazula and show the others she was fine. "That was something else, shoshinsha (beginner). What do you say we go at it again? I'm sure 'tou-san would love to see you do that again," she whispered the last sentence. When Tazula didn't answer, Kai frowned and sat up. "Oi, Hidaka-san."

"B-bokashi (blurring, but in this case, I mean 'blurry')," Tazula coughed out. Stars glittered her tunnel vision. She wheezed slightly before coughing more. "I-Itai." She closed her eyes tightly as needle-like pain repeatedly shot a small area on her back.

"Hidaka-san, can you hear me?" Kai kneeled over the still fallen girl. She held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding?" She snapped with her other hand to get Tazula's fading attention. "Oi, ni shūchū suru (concentrate)!"

"Tazula-chan, daijōbu desu ka?" Yoko pressed the back of her hand to Tazula's forehead and shook her head. "No fever. Lift her up slowly. Her head might not be getting enough oxygen while she's lying down." She watched carefully as Kai, Nana, Hana, and Emi lifted Tazula off the grass and held her with iron grips.

The soccer rookie slowly blinked as her sense of equilibrium was restored. She winced at the pain in her lower back, but said nothing about it. "How was that? Still think I should leave?" She looked at Nana with a wry smile.

The short haired brunette grinned. "Not at all. You did good. For a shoshinsha (beginner)." She winked playfully at Tazula.

Coach Matsu came over to the girls, eyeing Tazula critically. "Hidaka, take fifteen and have Yoko-kun look over you." He paused as if trying to decide whether he should say anything else of not. "Doryoku ii (Nice work)."

For the rest of practice, Tazula performed drill after drill and scrimmage after scrimmage as if she were at try-outs. Of course she had to argue with her coach before he had let her participate again.

Coach Matsu blew his whistle and Yoko hustled to the gathered girls with water. "I want to tell you that after this practice, I'm sure we'll do fine in our first game. Tomorrow we'll do a few more drills and another scrimmage. I'll be testing you for positions. Those who are flexible, be ready to be at any position." He looked at his manager.

Yoko nodded along with the girls and took her cue from Coach Matsu. "I'll also be pulling some of you out to get sizes for the uniforms."

"Mi-na, hands in." Kai ordered, sticking her hand in the middle of their huddle. "Seigaku on three. Ichi, ni, san—"

"SEIGAKU!" Everyone screamed.

~P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.~

"Tadaima (I'm home)!" Tazula announced, exhausted from her workout. She desperately needed a hot bath. Her muscles were starting to stiffen up.

"Okaeri nasai (Welcome home), kid."

Tazula walked into the living room. "Oi, Suzu, I'm going to take a shower. Soccer was intense and I'm beat, so. . . "She trailed off, finally noticing the other occupant in the room. "Ano, konbawa. Fujin-san (Miss Lady, literal translation). Yoroshiku." She gave a quick bow, feeling embarrassed.

"You play sakkã? I never thought I'd see the day you'd abandon tennis."

Confusion was written all over Tazula's face. Who the heck was this woman? She understood English as well? And why did she mention tennis?

"Kid, meet your social worker."

The dark haired lady flashed a kind smile. "You can call me Rinko. I'm not that in too formalities when dealing with clients."

Tazula racked her brain at the sound of the name. She shook the lady's hand, trying to recall why the name 'Rinko' was so familiar. "Ano . . . by any chance are you Takeuchi, Rinko-san?"

The dark green haired lady blinked and nodded. "Hai, how did you know?" Her heart pounded a little faster. Did she remember? Was her memory back? If it was, did that mean he would get his back as well?

Tazula cocked her head, her eyebrows furrowed. How did she know? Her eyes opened wide and she hit her fist on her open palm. "Mr. Nulty." She didn't even realize she had spoken in English until the social worker responded.

"I see, so he told you who I'd be ahead of time. That trickster. I'm sure he had all this planned out."

Tazula shot Suzumi a confused look. She was beginning to feel light-headed like she did back on the plane. A dull buzz in her ear made its appearance and she blinked multiple times, trying to get rid of the strange sensation that had just washed over her. She felt dizzy and began to sway. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head once and she collapsed to the floor.

"Tazula!" "Kid!"

~P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.P.o.T.~

" . . . mental stress."

Tazula groaned softly as she slowly came into consciousness.

". . . should probably . . . later. She's not. . . don't want to . . . problems."

"Stay." Suzumi's voice rang clear in the quiet house.

Tazula blinked realizing she was in her room. She rubbed her forehead, slightly furious with herself for just passing out. What was happening to her? She hadn't felt this way in ages. The fainting, headaches, dizziness, and the insistent buzzing, it was all too familiar. At least the pain behind her eyeballs wasn't there. At times, she wouldn't be able to open her eyes because the pain was intense.

"Do you think she's alright? She's been sleeping for quite a while."

Suzumi chuckled, "Hai, she's fine. That girl . . . it gets like this, she gets like this. And she had just gotten home from practice. Did you see how beat up she was? I wouldn't be surprised if she was pushed around some then." She shook her head, "Just like her father, ne?"

Rinko smiled softly, reminiscing about the man they were talking about. "I hope she isn't as reckless."

Suzumi's smile dropped and she looked away. "Iie, she's even more so." She said softly. "So you've been assigned as her social worker? Talk about fate."

Rinko grinned. "Tell me about it. My position was reassigned. I had been working as a DA's assistant and then I get told that there's a case that needed to be taken up and since I was only an assistant I was put on it. Imagine my surprise when I see your address."

Suzumi grinned, "Well imagine my surprise when I see you at the door. You haven't been here since the incident in America."

The good mood died instantly as both adults were lost in their thoughts of the event that occurred four years ago.

"How do you know me? And how do you know my family?" Tazula stood at the doorway, her arms crossed and eyes boring into Rinko's.

The lawyer's heart dropped. So the girl's memory wasn't back. Four years and she still didn't remember. What did that mean? Were the Echizens just nothing more than strangers now, not family?

"It's obvious that you know a lot about my family. With the way you two were talking about my father, it was pretty difficult not to notice. Who are you really? What's your connection to my family? To me?"
"Kid," Suzumi started, her voice had a slight edge to it. "Why don't you go take a shower? You need to relax and clean up." Her tone implied a command.

Tazula promptly ignored her. "I'm not a kid, damnit! Suzumi, stop trying to protect me! I need to know what the hell is going on here!" She returned her attention to Rinko. "You didn't answer my questions."

The brunette sighed. "Watashi no namae wa Takeuchi-Echizen, Rinko. I'm—"

Tazula shook her head, glaring. "I'm not stupid. Answer me in English! I know you can speak it."

Rinko was taken aback by the girl's harsh tone. Never in her life had she seen the girl act like this. "Tazula, I'm Rinko Takeuchi-Echizen. I'm your aunt's cousin. That's how I know you and that's how our families' are connected."


DayDream: So? What do you think? Please review. The next chapter is on its way. With Christmas coming up, I might do a little special :)