Their inner tears may have dried up since Kuroudo left for France but life goes on in Osaka's Kirei Stadium. The lights glare the same, the crowd is still lively... and the gear fighting action continues. Our protagonists are here once more, continuing the fight though Kuroudo's gone and Kyousuke's suffering a breakdown, for if there's one thing that they've learned from almost a year of struggling to the World Cup, it surely was the lesson of courage, perseverance... and hope.
"We're up against Manganji Dream Team next match." Lilica announced in an audible voice for all of them to hear.
"But since Jin's not here, they're in favor of one point." Kaoru continued, scratching her head slightly. "Good thing they considered Kuroudo's loss for if not... oh, we're surely doomed." After that, she automatically grew silent.
But unlike the life they led when they were all complete and united, everything about them seemed dull... lifeless as of now.
"Yes, sometimes, I kind of miss the two when they're fighting, especially during gear fights." Jirou stooped down the steel floor of the stadium. They were currently watching the game between the Nagoya team led by someone name Ren Midorikawa and the Shibuya team named Daisuke Sasaki. To refresh your memory, he was the one beaten up badly by Takeshi Manganji during the Regional Tournaments of three years ago.
"Good thing he's forgiving..." Kaoru joked up a bit as their eyes followed the redhead walking away, the harsh sallow spotlight trailing at him. Moments later, he was seen shaking hands with Nagoya team's captain, and soon, he's already heading up towards the direction where the young Manganji heir sat.
"Nice work, Sasaki." Takeshi grinned at the former player while he met his outstretched hand halfway and shook it.
"Domo, Manganji-sempai." Daisuke beamed back.
Why did he call Takeshi his senior, you ask? Well then, the answer's from the announcers themselves...
"There you go, dear audience, Manganji Takeshi and Sasaki Daisuke shaking hands with each other. If not for the Manganji Dream Team's fame, they could be team mates now."
"And another trivia," cut another announcer, "Those two were classmates in their elementary days in Shibuya..." And the huge screen flashed a picture of them in their younger years wearing the same gray uniform with blue neckties and grinning. The audience's laughter rolled off seconds later.
"Hey, where did they get that picture?" Daisuke exclaimed in a fit of embarassment. "Sheesh, I look so awkward there."
"Oh no, now I can conclude that the researchers did their very best. Very, let me point." Takeshi had his left hand covering his eyes upon seeing what was flashed.
"My haircut in that pic was so annoying..." the redhead stated, referring to the cropped two by three sidewalled hair which was the preferred cut of their private school.
"And so was mine..." Takeshi laughed with gusto. Daisuke followed, and applause rained last.
"Where did they get those info?!" Jirou asked aloud, still eyeing the screen.
"Maybe they had spies for that" Kouya added. It was surprising at how he could act as if nothing sad happened yesterday.
"Maybe they will also show my "secret" stories there. Hmmm, I just wonder when will they show it to the crowd." He laughed out loud but no one followed. He laughed alone, but soon looked down upon the thought that had crossed his mind just then.
"Maybe, they'll also show how the four of us met. Too bad the two won't see it..." his face looked so dejected, and so were the other members'. The announcers declared a break but they were still not standing up from their seats.
"How are they doing today?" Lilica mumbled under her breath.
"I am sure Kuroudo's up there, studying French maybe." Kouya also imagined.
"I wonder if Jin already ate his food." Kaoru muttered.
"Oh boy, how I miss them..." Jirou topped it all off with a sigh.
"Kouya?" a voice boomed behind their sullen backs. It was a voice overflowing with glee and hopes, a voice that seemed familiar to all of them. They finally decided to turn their backs to confirm their thoughts.
"Wha...?"
In front of them stood four individuals... but the lad with short and neatly-cropped hair looked most familiar for Kouya.
"Wang Hu?"
"Kouya, is that really you?" His arms stretched to his sides, his gray eyes displayed surprise.
"Of course..." his voice trailed off when...
"I missed you so!"
"Yes, he's really Wang Hu." Jirou silently concluded because he never changed that playful attitude.
"Miss Lan Fang?" Kaoru turned to the remaining three.
"The girl with waist-length shiny black hair and clad in a white Chinese-collared short-sleeved shirt and black slacks nodded.
"Hisashiburi da, Kaoru-chan, Lilica-san." Having learnt Japanese upon arrival, the pretty Chinese maiden practised it through her greeting.
"You'll also fight here?" Jirou asked the now muscular Ma Liang.
"Hai." He nodded sligghtly, making them see that he has no more Chinese braid.
"Hajime mashite, Kouya-kun?" After moments of a warm hug, Wang Hu let go of his long lost friend and straightened his cream-colored silk shirt.
"We're fine, thank you." Kouya replied after regaining his breath. He trained his eyes on the Chinese lad. Indeed, his attitude hadn't changed and so did his face... slightly. He had grown taller than he, let's say about half an inch. Also, he had matured in his smile, and his voice had grown slightly baritone. No wonder, he almost lost his breath on that cuddle.
"Say, will our teams fight again this time?" the silent Li Chun asked a random question for all of them. He hadn't changed quite a bit except for his brown sleeveless shirt, his shaggy hair up to his nape, and his slightly fatter built.
"As far as I am concerned, I think we won't face each other this time." Lilica, being so sure of the answer, replied for the whole Tobita Club.
"Sou ka... yokatta." He smiled slightly at all of them then reverted to his silent yet alert mode.
"Gia Masuta Jin doko da, Kouya-chan?" the reserved Chinese gear engineer asked Kouya who was then standing between Jirou and Wang hu.
"Uh... at home." he grew solemn in an instant.
"Why hasn't he come?" she questioned more, not satisfied.
The brunette team captain received glances from his team members.
"He's... not feeling well." He sheepishly chuckled, but was instantly halted by Lilica's stern look and nod. He sighed, getting the message, and finally spoke:
"He's depressed." He revealed.
"Nani? Doshite?" Wang Hu turned worried upon the fact.
Kouya sighed then asked in turn, "Say, do you notice our another member who's not here?" Wang Hu looked around but Li Chun instantly replied without hesitation;
"Marume-san?"
Jirou nodded, "You see, Kuroudo left for France without any notice to Jin..."
Kaoru cut his voice off and continued, "And Jin, being his bestfriend, was hurt. Who wouldn't, anyway?" she halted, then turned her head to the now sullen-looking Kouya behind her and added, "Now you see why Kouya's acting somewhat weird --- and sad --- today." Lan Fang detected pain in her tone and was about to say something when Wang Hu exclaimed;
"Kouya-kun, daijoubu?!"
Yuhya's younger brother looked at the tiger child then answered, "Daijoubu, Daijoubu. Domo..."
"Hontou ni?" Wang Hu held on his left forearm, his eyes searching, questioning.
"Hontou." he nodded, this time smiling slightly.
"Ah... yokatta desho" Wang Hu nodded in turn, now patting his back.
"But... why had he decided to go to France?" Ma Liang inquired more.
"Because," Kouya, knowing how to keep the personal things in private, proceeded, "He's planning to study the piano." Beaming slightly, he added, "He's planning to become the next Tchaikovsky, the French-Japanese version, that is."
Upon that revelation, the whole Tobita Club members sighed in relief, primarily because he kept the secret well. The Chinese team beamed, fascinated.
"Really? He dreams of that?" Li Chun raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"How artistic his dream is!" Lan Fang marvelled.
"Good for him to dream that big..." Wang Hu retorted, "Just imagine: I'm friends with the future piano prodigy? Kakkoi!"
Lilica and the others smiled at the lad's witty thought.
"But... why is Jin sad about Kuroudo's dream if he knows that it'll be for his sake?" Ma Liang broke through the merriment, asking a question that'll be probably hard for Jin to answer.
"The Tobita club members admitted that he has a good point, but Kouya decided to reply:
"Its because our team already has a deep bond between each other. Of course, it's saddening to know that one must leave and one must let go..."
It really is, Kouya. It really is.
Lan Fang seemed to have read Kaoru's thought through her now dim blue eyes. The assistant manager, upon letting her eyes meet with the girl's navy blue ones, tried to move them away in denial.
"Next match: The Four Stars Team vs. the Shibuya Team. Gear fighters, get ready."
The screen flashed the announcement.
"So, we'd better get going. Nice meeting you again!" Ma Liang, being the time-conscious being that he is, ended the talk immediately.
"We'll just see each other later." Li Chun nodded gracefully.
"Ja, Kouya-kun! Mata ne!" Wang Hu waved a hand at them while Lan Fang looked back, nodding and subconsciously observing the young lady dressed in purple.
When they were of good distance, Jirou patted Kouya's back, saying; "I'm proud of you, Kouya. Indeed, you understand Kuroudo's situation."
Instead of replying, he just mumbled;
"I wish they knew... I wish they really knew..."