These are the collated bonus stories.
#1 The Path I Chose
Kidou watched his players practicing. He sighted, being trainer was a great experience, but sometimes the genius strategist missed the carefree playing. Wait, carefree? There had been Kageyama, Fudou and the Crimson Crest… And in every single encounter Kidou had been worried about his closest friend, the one-eyed player who was now standing next to him, also watching the training.
Sakuma… Kidou looked at his friend. Why had he always been the one suffering? It wasn't fair and for this reason, the strategist had decided long ago to protect his one-eyed friend. He wouldn't fail again like he had back then, the time when Sakuma had rejected him to support Dark Icicle.
Coming to think of it…
"Sakuma, you're still at my side", Kidou noticed suddenly, wondering if his friend had even heard his words since he seemed absorbed in watching his players.
But Sakuma turned around and gave his friend a questioning glance. "What do you mean by that, Kidou? It's my job to be here with you."
"Don't you remember?" Normally, the strategist was as focused on his work as his friend, but this topic was far more interesting. "Back then at the Crimson Crest… Did you forget what you said to me? You know, during the night before the final match?"
"Oh that… Kidou look there! Is it just me or is the grass today greener than usual?" Sakuma bent down and touched the ground.
"Trying to avoid the subject?", the strategist asked smiling.
"I'm not… I just wanted to…."
"Yeah, I know." Kidou was still smiling as he interrupted Sakuma's answer. "You said you didn't want to be in my shadow anymore, didn't you? That you wanted to be on your own and so on." He paused. "But the fact is, now you're still here by my side…."
"Kidou!" His voice got louder. Sakamu couldn't hide his embarrassment as his face was red as a tomato despite his dark taint. "Things are different now!"
"Different?", Kidou cut in. "In what way?"
"Hey, I'm not the one who wore a silly cape!", Sakuma suddenly countered. "And you thought it was cool. That's how things were different back then."
"Argh, don't mention the cape!" Sakuma knew him too well, even his weak spot was no secret to him. "That's a no-go and you know that! Don't you dare to say anything about my cape again! I really DO think that it is cool! And stylish!"
Realising that everyone had stopped practicing and was now looking at them, the two trainers blushed and stopped argueing. Instead, an awkward silence filled the place.
But then Sakuma's voice got serious again. Looking at the ceiling of the stadium he whispered words only Kidou could hear. "Maybe I have found my path… But I decided not to walk on it since it would only lead me away from you…."
#2 Revenge
Everything was back to normal at Raimon—as soon as school was over the soccer practice started. It was the last day at Raimon for the players from outside, so everyone felt sad.
"Say Shirou, why did you never call during the Crimson Crest?", Gouenji asked as they were resting.
"Well…." Shirou had tried to avoid any contact with the flame striker; he was still unsure how to tell his friend about his relationship with Hiroto. Gouenji deserved to know, the two were close friends and if Atsuya hadn't returned, they might have ended up dating.
Atsuya… Shirou still felt bad because his twin had sent the flame striker to hospital, which didn't make his situation easier now.
"I mean, we… we kissed and all…." Gouenji blushed and his voice broke. Shirou could easily tell that it was difficult for the normally cool boy. "Afterwards you ran away and we haven't spoken since then… Which really is odd, since it was over a month ago."
Shirou hadn't realized that this much time had passed. And he hadn't even spent one second thinking about his best friend! "You see, it's not that I forgot you…", he tried to explain, immediately feeling bad because of his obvious lie. "There was so much going on with Atsuya…."
Atsuya? Shirou thought a moment about it. He had told Gouenji about Atsuya's return, hadn't he? But noting his friends wondering glance, Shirou doubted it…. Gouenji didn't know and Shirou had no idea how to explain the situation or the fact that he had a boyfriend now.
"Well, forget it! I was too busy playing soccer." Sometimes a simple answer was the best. "Let's continue practice now."
Leaving Gouenji clueless, Shirou returned to the soccer field. "Tomorrow I'll go back to Hokkaido anyway."
…
"What? Shirou and Hiroto are a couple?" Gouenji couldn't believe Endou's words. The flame striker had just returned from playing soccer overseas as he had learned that Endou was back in Raimon over summer. Of course it was only natural for them to meet up.
"I can't believe he didn't tell me!" Gouenji was still stunned. "How long?"
"Hm… ", Endou thought starting to realise that he had made a mistake. "Might be ten years now…."
"Ten years?" He stared at the former Raimon captain. "They dated in secret all the time?"
"Oh, it's not a secret, everyone knows—"
"Don't continue!" Gouenji interrupted, suddenly angry at Endou. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I tried to contact Shirou all the time! You know, I had feelings for him, I just couldn't tell him!"
"Gouenji, calm down", Endou replied. "It's not that it was intentionally… We just forgot…."
"True friends wouldn't forget about something that important! All of you deceived me!"
"Gouenji, please. I'm sure Shirou will apologize", Endou suggested.
"No, I will show him and everyone how much I suffered by taking away their most precious thing: soccer! I know… I'll take over Hakuren and rule the soccer world…."
"I don't think that will solve the problem", Endou muttered knowing that Gouenji wouldn't listen.
#3 Flying Home
The Crimson Crest had finally ended and the Inazuma players on the plane back to Japan.
"This tournament was so much fun!", Endou shouted excited. "I've never seen so many strong opponents gathered at one place."
"It really was a big event", Kazemaru agreed.
"And this time there was no evil to defeat, we just played normal soccer", the captain of Inazuma Japan continued. "I never had so much fun before!"
The blue-haired boy nodded. "Let's hope they will organize another tournament next year."
Kidou sat behind Endou, next to Sakuma, exchanging views with him. For Kidou, it felt like he hadn't fought any greater evil before—not that Kageharu had been evil, but the thought that he had almost lost Sakuma.
"Another Crimson Crest?", the strategist asked. "I would rather die…."
Endou's words made Shirou thinking about the events. Fun? He definitely had some good moments with Hiroto and his brother. Thanks to the Crimson Crest his head could now lean against his boyfriend's shoulder. Shirou watched the redhead sleeping peacefully.
Then again, most of the time he had been worried with half of his body being numb… In addition to Atsuya, who suffered the most. The Crimson Crest had definitely NOT been fun.
"I agree with Kidou", Shirou answered. "If they organize such an event again, I'll make sure that we are staying safe in Japan."
Endou couldn't believe his friend's words. "Oh come on guys, you're so boring!"
"You just don't know how dangerous Europe is, Endou…. But being naïve is one of your good points."