*** Chapter 12 - My Secret ***
It was March now, late in the school year. Our homework and studies had gradually increased to full load, and it was starting to cripple some of the weaker students. This included the soccer team players that had always straggled. Misaki and I started pooling our efforts to make things easier for each other. After all, two heads are better than one. We'd study different subjects and whittle things down to key concepts so the other person could spend a bit less time studying that particular subject. This also meant that between the two of us, we could cover all subjects and help Tsubasa stay dedicated to soccer as much as possible.
Despite the heavy work load, I kept going to as many practices as I could. I made good use of the time by bringing my work with me. I even started jogging around the field and school either before their practice, or as they warmed up. I had always been active playing soccer, and now, even though I no longer played, I felt like I had to keep moving. When the school work load was light during the start of the year, I had jogged around the neighbourhood every day, but now, I had to be more efficient with my time.
One Saturday, I left the house early to jog around the field before the team arrived for their practice. I jogged around my own neighborhood first, then toward the field. As I came upon the field, I saw an abandoned soccer ball under the bleachers. I looked around to see if its owner might still be around. The field was empty, and quiet. The only movement was from the rustling leaves nearby. I crawled under the bleachers and pushed the ball out onto the field. I looked at it for a while. Smiling to myself, I dribbled the ball into the field. I did a few keep ups. The empty net was too tempting. I let the ball drop, and shot it in. It felt good. I ran to get the ball from the net. Maybe I could shoot a few balls before anyone came and saw me.
With each kick, my body recalled what it was like on the field so many months ago. I was surprised at how quickly I regained the feel of kicking a soccer ball. I could tell my accuracy and power had decreased, but, the joy of kicking the ball was still there.