Day 6 - Sports & Growing Up: An Unforgettable Event
Taichi was feeling very excited. He had been waiting for that moment for weeks and now it was finally there. He ran to the balcony and took a look at his surroundings. There were quite a few Japan flags hung on windows and the streets were nearly desert, due to everyone being in their houses waiting for the soccer game to start. The people who were still outside were wearing the blue Japanese soccer team jersey, like him. It was the first time Japan was going to be in a World Cup, so the energy was different from last time.
He walked back inside his apartment and found his sister also ready to watch the match. She was also wearing the Japanese soccer team T-shirt, like their father. Their mother preferred to wear a plain white T-shirt though.
"I can't believe I'm going to see our country playing at the greatest soccer event of the Earth for the first time." Taichi sat down on the floor with his back leaned against the largest couch in the apartment.
"It's definitely a huge moment for us." Susumu sat beside him.
Hikari was on the other couch and Yuuko came from the kitchen with a large bowl of popcorn in her hands.
"You made only one, mom?" Hikari asked. "Taichi will eat this one all by himself."
"Hey!"
"There are two more in the kitchen. I made more because of that."
"I don't eat a whole bowl alone."
"Yes, you do. You do it normally, let alone during a soccer game." The girl teased.
"Whatever." Taichi turned to his father. "Do you think we have a chance of winning this match?"
"Honestly? I doubt it. Argentina is a strong team. But of course I will hope for us to win."
"The teams are on the field." Hikari stated. "The game is about to start."
The whole apartment fell in silence from the moment the national anthems of both countries started playing. It was impossible to say who was more nervous and excited about the match, Taichi or Susumu. Hikari and Yuuko spoke from time to time, but not nearly as much as the boy and the man. When the game reached about twenty eight minutes, Argentina scored their first goal.
"No!" Taichi slammed the couch with his hand closed. "That wasn't supposed to happen."
"We have about twenty minutes more of this half and another one to turn things around. I believe we can do this."
"Let's hope you are right, dad."
Nothing changed in the remaining minutes when it came to scoring. The Yagami family was happy for that and still confident the Japanese team could turn things around and win that match.
"Damn it."
"Don't curse, Taichi." Yuuko called him out.
"I'm sorry, mom." He turned to get some more popcorn from his and realized it was empty. "Oh looks like I've eaten all my popcorn."
"That must be your record." Hikari teased again.
"In my defense, I'm feeling nervous as hell."
"Taichi!"
"I'm sorry again, mom. It's bigger than me."
"Well, control yourself."
"I will, I promise."
"I can't believe this." Taichi complained when the match was over.
"It was a tough opponent, it wouldn't be an easy game." Susumu assured him. "We still have two more to go, so let's be confident we will win them and have a chance of going forward on the competition."
"I hope so."
It turns out the Japanese team didn't want any of their three matches and didn't make it to the next phase. Taichi was very disappointed by the end of the last match in the group phase.
"Well, it wasn't an easy group, but I'm proud of them for making it into a World Cup." Susumu placed his hand on his son's shoulder. "You should be too."
"I am. I'm just sad we didn't make it."
"Me too. But there's always next time, right?"
"Yeah." Taichi stood up and went to the balcony, where he took a long look at the huge flags hung on windows with sadness. Pretty soon they all would be taken away.
.
The warm summer breeze messed Taichi's brown hair. He didn't think he's seen Tokyo so crowded before in his life. His ten-year old version wouldn't believe he would get to witness Japan and South Korea being hosts of the 2002 World Cup, yet here he was. The city was full of people from all over the world, and Taichi couldn't help but feel excitement rising on his chest. There was no way to explain what he was feeling at that moment.
"It's so cool, isn't it?" Daisuke spoke beside him and could feel both Taichi's and Hikari's eyes on him. The trio had gone outside to see the movement in the city. "The World Cup is actually happening here."
"I know, it's insane."
"I had no idea it was possible to feel something like this. It's completely different than seeing it on TV. Seeing so many people from so many different countries coming together for passion for their countries and only one sport is absolutely crazy and amazing."
"It really is." Taichi could barely hold his smile. "I wish I could be there playing one day."
"Who knows?" Hikari grabbed his arm gently. "Maybe you will get to represent our country as a soccer player. I know I'd be so proud of you."
"That would be so surreal."
"Someday, who knows?" He said dreamingly and watched a group of people walking past them cheering and just being excited. "For now I just want to enjoy this special moment. We don't know when it's going to happen again."
"That's true." Hikari looked to many different flags placed on windows and people wearing T-shirts of the soccer teams from their own countries. "I love the energy around here right now."
"Me too." Daisuke nodded. "And I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't enjoy our summer vacation starting a little sooner than usual because of it."
"Of course." Taichi couldn't help but laugh when he looked at him. "That doesn't surprise me at all."
"Me neither."
The younger boy blushed with embarrassment and the Yagami siblings burst into laughter.
.
It was impossible not get involved with the energy of the people arriving at the stadium. There was no way they could measure how many people were going to watch it. It was Japan's second match in the group phase and they had won their first one, so they were really motivated for it. Taichi felt his heart was going to explode on his chest from excitement.
"This is so crazy." Sora stated behind him. "We are actually going to see a World Cup game."
"I know, it feels surreal."
"Are you ready to keep with me?" Taichi asked her over his shoulder. "It's not going to be an easy task tonight, I must say."
"Don't underestimate me." She shot back and went through her bag, pulling out a dark blue T-shirt. "I've got my Japanese soccer team's jersey right here."
"I'm not surprised you'd come fully prepared for it." He smiled and then turned to Koushiro at his other side. "What about you?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." The red haired replied with a smile.
"It's good to see you haven't given up on soccer completely."
"I wouldn't be able to even if I tried. You two wouldn't let me."
"We really wouldn't." Taichi laughed and the two red haired teenagers followed him suit.
Yamato fake coughed and the trio looked at him. He kept on walking casually towards the stadium and Sora blushed a little when he purposely let his hand brush against hers.
"For a moment I forgot Yamato came along." Taichi whispered to Koushiro with his hand over his mouth.
"That must be because we're not in school, so there isn't a group of girls around him right now."
"That's probably it. And that's a good thing, if you ask me."
"Why is that?"
"Don't tell me you haven't noticed." He discreetly glanced over their friends, who were walking a little ahead of them, and Koushiro finally understood it.
"Ah yes, I've noticed it."
Taichi looked all over the stadium once they were settled. There were about sixty six thousand people there at that night and the Japanese people were beyond excited. When he glanced over his best friends again, he saw that Sora was completely astonished and amazed by everything.
"This is really cool, huh?"
"I don't think I've ever felt anything like this." She leaned over and replied close to his ear because it was simply impossible to understand each other without screaming due to the noise. "It feels like a dream."
"I know, right?"
She went through her bag once again and took off her jersey and an extra one, which she handed to Yamato. She asked him to hold her bag while she put her blue T-shirt on and then he did the same.
"Thank you." She mumbled and gave him a smile when she got her bag back. "Are you excited for the match?"
"I am." He nodded. "I just don't make a fuss of it like Taichi."
"That's totally fine." Sora brushed a lock of her hair away from her face and blushed for the second time that night. "I personally prefer it like this, to be honest."
He blushed too. "T-Thanks. And thank you for letting me keep my jersey on your bag."
"You're welcome."
The first half of the match was less exciting than Taichi thought. Of course there were some great moments, but there was no goal during the first forty-five minutes. The group decided to hang out in the restaurant area to eat something and stretch their legs before the second half of the match.
"It's been quite a good game, don't you think?" Taichi asked after eating a bite of his hot-dog.
"It really has." Sora nodded. "Russia is playing greatly, but we are playing better than them, so I'm confident we can score at least once tonight."
"I hope so, because I want to see Japan score a goal live for the first time. It will be a very special moment. But mostly, I really want to see you celebrating and screaming when they do."
"You know me too well." She smiled and drank another sip of her water.
"You should see the way she gets when she's celebrating a goal." He addressed to Yamato. "It's crazy! Koushiro's seen it before, right?"
"That's right." Koushiro confirmed with a nod. "It's the best thing ever."
"Really? I'd love to see it."
"You guys are making me feel embarrassed." She subtly turned her head around Yamato. "They are exaggerating. I cheer, but not in an insane away."
"Now I'm hoping even more for Japan to score, so I can see you celebrating and cheering about it."
"Oh God, this is so embarrassing." She covered her face with her hands to hide her blush.
"The second half is about to start." Taichi warned. "We better go back to the bleachers."
The second part of the game started about five minutes after the quartet had returned to their seats. Five minutes later, came a big opportunity for Japan and about two thirds of the audience felt apprehensive. Taichi and Sora were the most excited and anxious of the quartet.
"Go, go, go!" She screamed as the players got near the Russian goal. "Come on!"
"GOAL!"
Both of them screamed, jumped happily and hugged each other for about two or three minutes, just like more than half of the people in the stadium. Yamato and Koushiro also celebrated, but not as enthusiastically as Taichi and Sora.
"Taichi was right, it was the best thing ever seeing you being all excited about the goal."
"He was exaggerating. It wasn't that different from other people here."
"It's probably the highlight of the night." He leaned over towards her ear and whispered to make sure she heard it.
"Stop it!" She blushed heavily. "So, I got a little carried away."
"I thought it was cute, actually." He not so absentmindedly touched her hand.
"I told you it was crazy. Watching a match with Sora is the coolest thing ever."
"I completely agree. I wish I could have done this sooner."
"Okay, can we please go back to watching the match?"
There were no other goals in the second part of the match, so it was another victory for Japan in the competition. People went back to celebrating it as they made their way out of the stadium. The group decided to wait until it wasn't so crowded anymore. They didn't want to lose each other in the crowd of people.
.
Taichi was gently hit by the cool summer breeze as he leaned over the Rainbow Bridge. The sky was painted in shades of orange, yellow and red and the clouds on the horizon seemed to be sprayed in gold from the sunlight. Above him, the sky was fully starry and dark blue.
Tokyo was much quieter now. The World Cup was over and the great majority of the tourists had already left to their own countries. Unfortunately Japan didn't make it further than then round of sixteen and was eliminated by Turkey. Taichi was happy nonetheless, as they had gone further than in 1998. But he was surely going to miss the energy the World Cup brought to his country.
"Wow, I can't believe a month went by already." Sora stated when she stopped beside him. "It's been so much fun."
"I know." He couldn't help but smile, reliving everything in his mind. "It's crazy to think we actually got to see a match live. I'll surely remember this moment for the rest of my life."
"Me too." Koushiro joined the duo. "It was such a special moment. I enjoyed having so many people here."
"Same." Sora brushed a lock of her hair away. "Watching it on TV is completely different. Feeling this energy was so… surreal. Yamato said he only feels like that when he's performing on stage."
"Speaking of him, he couldn't make it today?"
"No." She shook her hair negatively. "He said he had to clean his house before he left to Shimane with Takeru."
"I suppose Takeru could use some time to recharge his energy for what's to come next."
"Yeah." Taichi kept looking at the horizon. "Anyway, it's going to be hard to go back to the normal."
"I agree." Sora bent down to pick up the soccer ball beside Taichi's left foot. "This World Cup made me realize how much I missed soccer and didn't know."
"I missed playing it with you. But you became an amazing tennis player too."
"Thank you, Taichi." She smiled. "As much as I still enjoy playing soccer, I'm in a different phase right now."
"I think it's great that you are trying different things, Sora."
"I think so too."
"And we all know why." Taichi teased and smiled as he pulled away from the rail.
"Shut up, Taichi."
"I thought it was cute, actually."
"I can't believe you heard that!" She blushed heavily. "And please stop imitating Yamato, it's very unnecessary and inappropriate."
"It's fun teasing you guys."
"No, it isn't."
"Oh come on." He placed his arm around her shoulder. "I'm just joking. I'm just waiting for the day one of you actually makes a move on the other one."
"There's no move to be made because nothing is happening."
"Sure there isn't." Koushiro said absentmindedly.
"Not you too." Sora rolled her eyes, but deep down she was enjoying it. "Look, let's just go home, okay?"
"Fine. Last one loses." Taichi grabbed the ball from her hands and ran off, with the duo right after him.