Hey everybody! Thanks for the reviews I've gotten, I appreciate every single one of them. :3 Please keep sending them in, I love feedback. Sorry it too so long, but finally Kaoru is coming into the picture! XD It IS a K/K story although I'm not the biggest fan of Kaoru (Haha, Lendra-chan! XD) but she's a good person. I originally was going to make it Kenshin and Hiko, but decided that work be boring and got some new ideas... I think you'll love what I've done to the two of them, relationship-wise. Made it pretty interesting in my opinion. Hope you like!

One other thing—I'm graduating tonight! Xx; Yay high school? D:

-Ditox-chan


Progressing through the following day of school was drudgery. I was constantly keeping an eye out for Megumi's adoring stare in order to avoid it and I tried to reserve every ounce of energy I had. I had never played soccer in my life, but I wanted to excel at it.

I had fifteen minutes inbetween the final bell of school and my tryout in the soccer field. I noticed that Seijuro-san had left the library early. At first I felt guilty to be dragging him into my tryouts, but I guess he wouldn't have much of a choice. To say the truth, I was perfectly nervous, that I was.

I knew it would take me a good five minutes to walk down to the field, so I left almost as soon as the bell rang. I shuffled out the back door and across the large lawn and parking lot, growing more and more nervous as I neared the tryouts. I tried to shake the feeling off, but it did not retreat. When I arrived on the field, I found I was alone.

I dropped the soccer bag I had prepared the following night and began to dig out the equipment and such. I had been told by Yamagata-san to read a small manual on the basics of soccer leagues and how to play. ..It was pretty boring. I knew about soccer plenty – I'd been dragged to some of the soccer games by the girls and by Sano. I'd just never participated, that's all.

I punted the ball around and chased after it. I kicked it up into the air and butted it with my head. I straightened my ponytail after it was knocked loose when the ball missed my head. I had no self-assurance whatsoever. When it came time that my tryout should begin, neither of the coaches were present. I sighed and began to pull off a cleet when I heard a loud cough and noticed a figure far in the distance, heading towards the field.

Seijuro-san. I noticed he was being persued by the other coach, who caught up to him and began to chat away. Seijuro-san wasn't saying anything. I secretly wished that he was a little more, uh, outgoing. He didn't seem like the friendly type. But then again, what do I know?

"Sorry we're late," the junior varsity coach apologized. I had no idea who he was. Seijuro-san looked off to the side through the corner of his eyes and nodded sheepishly. I didn't think he was much of the apologative type. I began to ponder if I was judging him a bit too harshly since our meeting in the library – which wasn't really a meeting, come to think of it.

"It's all right," I replied with a smile, retyping the laces of my cleet and standing. "This one does not mind waiting."

The JV coach nodded. "Why don't we get started, then?" He glanced at Seijuro-san for support, but received nothing through his silence. "It's not going to be easy to train just one child seperately, but we shouldn't worry about that. Why don't you start off with some normal kicks to the goal?"

I did so. I kicked with all my might. I forced myself to remain focused on the goal, not on the expressions of the coaches. I wondered if Seijuro-san was watching. I was afraid to look and receive one of his glares. I was advised to do other drills like running across the field and back and headbutting the ball. "Hiko here is a former goalie," the JV coach said as I was gasping for air and desperately swallowing water from the contained I had inserted into the soccer bag. "I think he was planning on going into the goal and seeing how good you could shoot under pressure with a goalie there. All right?"

I nodded. Seijuro-san walked into the goal while the JV coach dumped several soccer balls in front of me. "Kick all you want," he smiled. I began to punt the balls furiously, but it was if no matter how hard I kicked them, Seijuro-san could somehow block it from entering the goal. I tried dribbling the ball and knocking it in on the side, but he would just dive over and defend it. With the failing goals I was making, the odds of making the varsity team were getting lower and lower. Or maybe they would have mercy on me.

As I began to ponder this, I continued to kick the balls toward the net. I broke from my train of thought just in time to see one of them past Seijuro- san's head and into the net. I stood, stupefied a moment because of my accomplishment. Suddenly, the joy surged through me and I leapt into t he air, a fist raised to the sun as I emitted a cheer of excitement.

But my landing wasn't as wonderful as my accomplishment. I landed straight on a soccer ball that Seijuro-san had kicked there on purpose – I began to roll around on it, spurting in sheer uneasiness, "Ororororo!!"

Rolling around on that ball wasn't the most enjoyable thing I've done. I would've jumped off if I could, but it was a difficult enough task to stand up. If I tried top hop off I would've fallen on my face. So, I didn't try to get off, riding the ball straight into small stone about the size of my fist. The ball stayed; I didn't. "Oroooooo," escaped my mouth as I flopped onto the grass, face-first.

The JV coach was having a great time laughing at me. "I've never seen anyone stay up on a ball that long in all my years," he choked through his chuckles. I sat up on the grass, rubbing my head, confused and in pain. Seijuro-san was smiling at my slyly from the goal. He slowly walked over and extended his palm to me. Awed, I stared at it a moment before slowly raising my gaze to his face.

"Welcome to the varsity soccer team, Himura," he said, grinning. Uneasily, I shook his hand, a smile slowly forming on my face. I stood off and brushed myself off. He began to lecture me about all the rules and practices. He told me our first game was a week from that day.

The practice following the tryouts was harsh and very stressing, but through the steady practices I became more accustomed to the drudgery. When it came time for the first official game, I was wiped out from the practices. Seijuro-san said I had a lot of spunk and that I showed more effort than the other members of the team. I wanted to be one of the best members of the team, but never a soccer star.

It was at that game I first noticed we actually had cheerleaders. They were not boring – in fact, because of their constant cheering and assurance, I scored three goals throughout the coarse of the game. Four out of the five girls were constantly watching me – but there was one individual who didn't seem to notice me at all.

She had long, raven hair tied into a high ponytail. Her eyes were beautiful and her voice was loudest out of them all. She had the most enthusiasm and the most perplexing cheers. The other cheerleaders seemed to follow her every move. It was not until after the game should I begin to notice her fully – she was simply gorgeous.

But I had not a clue who the vibrant cheerleader was.
Hey guys. :3 This chapter took a while, sorry! My internet has been dead so I haven't been able to upload it. All my reviews so far are positive, I'm so happy! Please keep 'em coming! XD