Next Day

So far, my practices with Raimon was still making no progress. The only people I could actually play with on the field so far was Gouenji, Kidou, Someoka, Ichinose, and possibly Domon, and I wasn't exactly on the best terms with the managers either, especially Aki, the girl who I had first talked to during the Teikoku versus Raimon practice match. The others, especially the teal haired boy from the first practice and another boy named Handa, were completely against me being on the team. Whatever. I was already planning on ditching them after I beat Zeus. I might go join a team in Europe where mama, papa, and my grandparents were living, or I might escape to Hokkaido or someplace far where people wouldn't know much about me. But whatever I decide on doing, I can't go back to Kidokawa Seishuu...ah, the mere name of it gave me a pang of sadness and reminded me that I had to face them soon. But instead of being on a team together, I was going to have to play against them...

"Sakurai, Gouenji! You guys look depressed! Want to come to the park and plan with me and Kidou?" Endou's voice cut through my deep thinking. I looked at Gouenji, and he gave me the same look of if-you-go-I'll-go. I turned back to Endou and shrugged. "Sure, why not? I don't have anything else planned after school anyway."

Time Skip to After Practice

I sat in the middle of Gouenji and Kidou on the bench. Gouenji was hunched over deep in worry, obviously about the whole facing Kidokawa thing. Kidou had insisted on putting an arm around my waist as he read the strategies he planned for our next match out loud. While I wanted to do what Gouenji was doing and let all the frustration show, I was sure I looked like a girl now in my female uniform and being hugged by Kidou, so I really shouldn't, or it would look like I had just been dumped and Kidou was trying to cheer me up. Heck, I already look like his girlfriend sitting this close to him, I don't want to give him more glory.

"Gouenji, watch out for the timing when the formation changes," Kidou warned the platinum haired striker. All he got in reply was a brooding, "Yeah..." All of us could tell that Gouenji wasn't really listening. "We'll take a break from this strategy meeting!" Endou exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood, "Come with me!" Then he ran off. Gouenji snapped up, and me and Kidou jerked our head toward the figure running away. "Hey! Where are you going?" Kidou shouted after Endou. The three of us sprang up and started chasing him.

At last when we finally caught up to him, we stood in front of an old fashioned candy shop. "A sweets store?" Kidou asked, shaking his head. "Yeah," deadpanned Endou, "You've never been here before?" But Endou was right, the run did make me forget about my worries, even if it was only for five minutes. "Yeah," me, Gouenji, and Kidou replied like idiots.

Endou went in and instantly started chatting with the old lady in charge and the elementary kids in there buying candy. He looked so familiar with this place and these people, I was even starting to wish they had stores like this near Teikoku. "So they still have places like this in Inazuma Town," Kidou stated as he admired the sentimental feeling of the candy store. "Yeah, it's my first time here too," Gouenji said.

We decided to wait for Endou outside on the bench, since none of us (or me at least) hadn't brung any pocket money other than my dinner fee and bart fare since I lived in another city. I wondered briefly whether Kidou was actually hiding a fat wallet somewhere since he was rich, then gave up on trying to figure out where since it's not like he was going to share anyway.

"A sweets store, eh?" Kidou said suddenly, "Just like a child." Me and Gouenji turned our attention to him. I had gotten used to his hands over me after so many weeks, so I just ignored the arm that had found it's way around my waist again and hoped that no one I knew passed by. I did not need rumors of the crossdressing Death Bringer having a possible relationship with the fallen genius strategist being tossed around Japan.

Suddenly, arguing voices from inside the sweet shop distracted us. "Move," a voice said. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't pinpoint from where. "You can't cut lines!" one of the kids Endou was talking with earlier shouted at the first. Then came Endou's voice, trying to reason with the first boy who's voice kept nagging at the back of my mind, "You guys! Stay in line!"

"Bad kids! Bad kids!" the elementary kids chanted as the three of us ran to see what was happening. When I finally saw who the first voice belonged to, a shock went through my body. Gouenji had the same reaction when he came to the door two seconds later. It was our former teammates, the Mukata triplets. Well, not exactly teammates, more like my bench-mates.

They noticed us also. "Gouenji!," the boy in the middle, Musara, sneered, "Long time no see, you loner who ran away from the finals." Then Tomo, Musara's brother, added from the side, "At least you dare show your face to us after all this time, unlike that Inoue Shizuro who disappeared completely. So we'll give you credit...not!" Then the three bursted into haughty laughter.

I couldn't help but started laughing also. Kidou jumped back and Gouenji looked shocked. The Mukata triplets stopped laughing abrupty and turned toward me along with Endou, the old lady, and the other kids. "What's so funny?" Tsutomu, the last brother, demanded. I stopped laughing also, but giggles escaped through my mouth. "Don't you recognize me?" I asked them. They squinted as they tried to figure out why I looked so familiar. Finally after five seconds, Musara exclaimed,"You're Inoue!". The other two brothers' minds finally clicked, and their jaws dropped. "That's right," I replied, then because I couldn't help it, I added, "Took you long enough. Haven't you been reading the news or watching the TV?"

Musara crossed his arms and taunted, "I have, but all of them are about the Mukata Triplets, who will win the Football Frontier, like totally." I pretended to be bored, and said, "Oh, then you guys must be desperate. All I saw was me making the front cover of about three sport magazines, two newspapers, five gossip papers, and a small paragraph on you guys in one magazine." Tomo narrowed his eyes. "Don't be so sure of yourself, Inoue. You and Gouenji may have been the victory cards last year, but now it's us."

"Who are those guys?" Endou asked Kidou. The genius strategist replied, "They're the ones who played in place of Gouenji and Shizumi this year in the finals, the three top of Kidokawa Seishuu." "As expected of Kidou Yuuto, looks like you've got all the information on your potential opponents," Musara commented. Kidou nonchalantly shrugged and replied, "I only remembered it because it's strange to see three strikers on the field at once." I couldn't help but exchange a victory smirk with him. He grinned back.

"How dare you say that? We proved that we can beat Gouenji and Inoue, we have three strikers that are all better than them!" Tsutomi fired. Endou started walking to the exit, then paused right before he went out and signaled for us to take the conversation outside. Gouenji followed wordlessly, but I stayed behind to give the Mukata Triplets one more glare before Kidou looped his arm around me again and dragged me outside. The Mukata Triplets followed and snickered at the sight of me, the phantom striker who struck fear in everyone's hearts being pulled like a girl. I gave them another glare, but they just laughed louder.

Finally, when we were all outside, Endou demanded, "What's this about? What's with you guys?" Tomo replied in that haughty tone, "We'll take down Gouenji Shuuya and Inoue Shizuro for Kidokawa Seishuu, no, to satsify the triplet's grudge!" "From the first day you shamed me at tryouts, we hated you, no, both of you!" Musara declared, "So we'll take you down!" Then all together, they chorused, "That's something Gouenji and Inoue knows, so ask them!"

"Eh? Gouenji and Inoue knows?" Endou asked, then turned to us. Gouenji was looking at the ground, and I turned my face away from Kidou. "Yeah," Tsutomu continued, "You could say that last year in the Football Frontier, Kidokawa Seishuu got to the finals thanks to them." "It's true that Gouenji had a lot of good skill and that Inoue was our joker, but because of that, us Mukata Triplets wasn't even brought out to play!" Tomo said in a dramatically sad tone, as if he was about to pull out a hankerchief and dab at his eyes. Musara was the next to speak. "It's sad, but reality, so we put our dreams in Gouenji, and in Inoue too if Gouenji wasn't enough. But...but...you two never showed up at the finals!"

The accusation drilled deep into my heart. It was my worst nightmare coming true, my teammates saying that I had let their dreams of victory fall. Endou shouted something back to defend us I think, but I wasn't completely sure. Everything was blocked out, and I felt my world crumbling. My knees felt weak, and I collapsed. If it wasn't for Kidou catching me, I would have been on the ground. All I could do right now was hang onto his arm tightly and clench the fabric of the sleeve. I couldn't think straight, I couldn't stand up, I'm not sure I could even keep living.

Musara continued like he was reading from the script that would end my world. Every word rang loud and clear in my head. "You two betrayed our dreams! We thought you were heroes, but you ran away like cowards!" I felt myself slipping, and I couldn't do anything about it other than grip onto Kidou tighter. I had thought this desire to not let anyone's dreams collapse because of me was gone after Gouenji had told me I wasn't to blame, but I guess I was wrong.

Kidou pulled me up and forced me to stand. "Stop. Shizumi didn't quit on her own free will. It was Kageyama's fault! He wanted to make sure Teikoku could win against Kidokawa Seishuu, so he decided to fake a voting to kick Shizumi out," Kidou shouted at the Musara Triplets.

Endou was shocked at Kidou's outburst, then quickly caught on. "That's right! That day, Gouenji was-" He was cut off by the platinum haired striker. "Stop it, it's over already, The truth won't change!" Gouenji shouted. I could tell he was taking these accusations pretty badly too.

Musara pulled out a soccer ball from his bag. "Well, since we're here, let's do some scouting," he said wickedly. Gouenji turned around and started walking away, "Sorry, I don't feel up to it." He was near breaking point, so he probably wanted to get away as quick as possible before he started to crack. I had already broke, and it was embarrassing to do it in front of the Mukata Triplets especially. Somehow, it wasn't as embarrassing in front of Kidou. It was probably because he had cracked in front of me before. "Oh? Are you going to run away again?" Tomu asked, hitting bullseye where it hurted the most. Gouenji stopped. Then Tomu turned to me. "How 'bout you?"

Kidou took one look at my trembling figure, and told Endou, "I'm taking her home. She'll be better tommorow." The two of us started walking away. From behind, I heard Musara call out on purposely loud, "Ah, it was a shame this is the same Inoue that Hinata-chan saw." He emphasized the name Hinata, but really put the hard note on 'chan'. I stiffened. Then slowly, I turned my head slightly in my signature single eye glare. "Did you just call Hinata 'Hinata-chan?'" I asked, scaring even myself how murdurous my voice sounded. Kidou took a step back, releasing his hold on me, but I no longer needed his support. This anger made my blood boil.

"Yeah, didn't you know? Hinata's my girlfriend now," Musara continued taunting, this time emphasizing the word 'girlfriend'. I know I was probably a human flame now. "Let's decide this with soccer," I said in the scarily calm, but angry voice which meant the Death Bringer meant buisness. And everyone, especially Musara, should know that you never want to be on the opposite team when the Death Bringer was angry.