Somehow…I feel that this is a misfit chapter. It may seem irrelevant, but please welcome it with open arms. Ken's important too, you know?

After months and months of preparation, he was sad to see that it was over. Nothing would strike the good times from him; nothing would cause his memories to fade. However, he would forever remain saddened by one fact: All good things must come to an end.

M9: Commemoration

Ken leapt up and dove at a 45 degree angle, blocking the soccer ball just as it sailed past the poles of the net. He landed hard on the grass and slid from the slickness of the ground. He could hear the small crowd going wild; his team had just won the game. The tie breaking goal the opposing team desperately needed in order to win had been blocked. By Ken. Ken had the euphoric feeling he always had after winning a tight game flow quickly through his veins. He barely felt himself being lifted from the ground. Next thing, he was on a strong pair of shoulders with many cameras flashing in his direction. He was smiling widely and pumping his hands in the air and his teammates were patting and swatting at him in excitement.

They had won the last and toughest game of the season. They were all tired and worn out and yet too excited to call it a day. By the time the crowds dispersed, and they'd all showered and changed, it was nearing six and Ken was dying for something to eat. As they piled into the team van, he suggested they grab a bite. Several of them agreed with him, but others were still talking the game over and hadn't heard him. Ken smiled at his teammates, loving the sense of camaraderie he felt being with them.

Then, Yamamoto Masami, a veteran player and former J-Leaguer like Ken, spoke up from near the back doors of the cramped interior of the van.

"I have an idea," he said, trying to speak over the noise. People stopped talking to look at him. He was their main sponsor and team captain; when he spoke, everyone listened. "Ken's right, we should get something to eat. But I propose we go someplace swank to celebrate."

"What, dressed like this?" another teammate asked. Araki Hideki, seated next to Ken on the floor, shooed at him.

"Sounds great," he said. "Where to?"

"Ken, why don't you pick," Yamamoto said. Ken was taken aback.

"Me? I…wouldn't even know where to begin."

"Well, don't you go out?" Yamamoto asked him. Ken raised an eyebrow at him.

"Me?" he asked again. "When I'm out, I'm with you guys and coaching…" he said.

"Well, where do you take the ladies after games, Ken?" Araki asked. Ken chuckled at him and rubbed his hair.

"I don't have time for romance," he said. "I'm too busy at home."

"Sheesh," Yamamoto said. "Too busy for tail?" His expression portrayed his inability to wrap his head around that fact. He shrugged. "Well, anyway, anyone else have any suggestions?"

"Yeah, who's paying?" a voice rang out.

"Me, of course," Yamamoto said. Knowing he was loaded beyond compare, hearing that led the others to start shouting out where they wanted to go. Yamamoto laughed at them all, finding the situation humorous.

"Let's try that new place!" Araki said finally. "The one that opened last week."

"The fancy French place?" Yamamoto asked. He put his hand to his chin and nodded slowly. "Sounds good. Not bad Araki-kun. Not bad at all." The conversations began to buzz again. Ken sat back against the back of the driver's seat and relaxed. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. It was Omi. Ken climbed into the passenger's seat to take the call.

"Hey, Omi, what's up?"

"We just got your message, Ken, congratulations!" Omi said. Ken chuckled into the phone, his excitement starting to rise again.

"Thanks," he said. "The guys and I are going to go out to eat now to celebrate."

"Oh, how neat! Where?"

"I don't know the name of it, but it's a fancy French place apparently."

"It's so great that you guys are going to do that. It sounds like so much fun. So…you won't be joining us for dinner?" Out of all the things they did together, Omi seemed to value eating meals more than anything. Ken didn't want to disappoint him.

"Hey, I will," Ken said. "I can save my appetite."

"But…it sounds like you're going to have dinner right now…"

"If you want me to come home for dinner, Omi, I will." Araki poked his head into the driver's compartment and looked at Ken, confused.

"No, no, Ken. You go out and have fun with your friends. I'll just lessen the recipe."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, definitely. We'll see you when you get home. Don't party too hard."

"I won't. Thanks."

"Have fun, Ken." Ken hung up and looked at Araki as he climbed back into the back of the van.

"What was that?" Araki asked. "Talking to your chick?"

"Don't be silly, that was Omi." Araki loosened up.

"Oh… The boy with the honey blonde hair…blue eyes?" Ken nodded.

"Yep."

"I thought he moved away."

"Oh, he's back," Ken said. "Now the four us live together again." Araki nodded and seemed to be thinking about it.

"So…how come he doesn't come to the games anymore?" he asked. Ken shrugged, though he knew why.

"Omi doesn't get out much," he said.

"Well, why?"

"He's still settling down after having been away for all that time."

"He should start coming to the games," Araki said. "It'll be cool. He bakes, right?"

"Yeah…sometimes…"

"He brought juice and brownies last time he came. They tasted good as hell. Like…homemade."

"Yeah, he baked them, but he only does it for special occasions."

"Well, he should make us something for winning today." Ken quirked an eyebrow at Araki.

"What's with you?" he asked. "You want some brownies, make them yourself."

"Yeah, right. Me, baking?" Araki laughed it off. "So are you going to ask him, or what?"

"No," Ken said. "He's busy."

"What does that mean, he's busy?" Araki asked. "It doesn't take that long to make some brownies."

"Then you make them," Ken said, laughing at him. Araki frowned. "What's with you and brownies?"

"Sometimes, you just have something that's downright phenomenal and then you have a taste for it for life after that. My Grandma Nonni used to make brownies…the really chunky kind. When the Omi kid brought his brownies around…I mean it was like Grandma Nonni all over again." Ken was still chuckling.

"All right, all right, I'll see what I can do about the brownies," he said. "You're strange, Araki, you know that?"

"Have him bring them to the award ceremony." Ken knew about Aya's hesitance to let Omi out of the house. It would be nice if Omi could come, but it was unlikely that Aya would agree to it.

"No, I'll pack them and bring them," Ken said.

"Why?" Araki said. "Come on, it's not going to kill you to bring him along."

"I just told you he doesn't get out much."

"Do any of you guys get out?"

"Yohji does," Ken said.

"Well how old is he?" Araki asked.

"Twenty-three," Ken said with a nod.

"He's old," Araki said. "How about that Omi kid?"

"He turned 18 this winter." Araki made a face.

"He don't look 18 to me," he said. Ken nodded again.

"Omi doesn't look 18 to anybody," he said. "We tease him about it a lot."

"Hm…" Araki drummed his hands on his knees.

"Twenty-three isn't that old," Ken said. "We're almost twenty-three." Araki laughed loudly about something, then turned to Ken.

"Oh, man, I can't wait until you turn 21, Ken," he said. "That's going be too much fun."

"I'm not hanging out with you guys for my birthday. You think I don't remember what happened when I turned 18? You guys are nuts."

"Oh, come on, Ken…" Yamamoto said, cutting into their conversation. "We had more fun in that one night than you've had in your whole life, isn't that right?"

"I wouldn't agree," Ken grumbled. "I had a hangover the next day and couldn't do anything."

"That was the morning after," Yamamoto said, shrugging widely. "But that night, you lived like a King and you know it. You were the last of us to turn 18, so we had to make it special, you know? You couldn't come to any of our bashes, so we had to make up for it."

"Yeah," Araki said, giving Ken a fake punch to the chin. "And this year, being the last to turn 21…it's going to be a blast." Ken pushed him away playfully.

"With any luck, I'll be in Hawaii for Christmas," he said.

"There's fun to be had in Hawaii," Yamamoto said, his body straightening with eagerness. "Oh, hell, Ken. Why didn't you say you wanted to go there earlier? We could have planned something."

"It's not too late," Araki said. "Fall's only just starting."

"We're going to party so hard," a voice from the crowd said and the others started talking about it. Ken feared for his sanity.

"What kind of person goes on vacation and parties?" he asked himself. Araki gave him an odd look.

"You crazy?" he asked. "That's what vacations are for." Ken lowered his head. This wouldn't be the first time his big mouth got him into trouble. Araki perked and snapped his finger. "Hey, I just realized. If we go to Hawaii, that Omi kid could go, too."

"What's brownies got to do with…?" Ken's voice trailed off as he realized just what Araki was really asking for. He'd just gotten through having a conversation like this one with Yohji, but now he was hearing it from Yohji's point of view. Could it be déjà vu if he had to switch places with someone? Ken pouted at Araki. Did Araki know that he was basically telling Ken that he liked Omi? Ken prayed he didn't.

"Well, not just brownies. The kid is fun," Araki was saying. "He was the life of the party the last time he went to Masami's with us."

"He felt out of place…" Ken said. Ken had felt out of place, too, even though he was among his friends.

"But he looked so…excited about everything," Araki said.

"It's his nature. I mean…he did have fun, but still. He felt a little out of place."

"That's too bad…" Araki said. "Next time, invite him when the crowd is small. He can really play Tekken, he whipped me good." Ken chuckled.

"Omi doesn't even play games, but whenever he picks up anything electronic, he's like a master at it. He's cool."

"So you see why I want him to hang. You said he doesn't play soccer, right? We can change that."

"Omi's more into art," Ken said. "Like…before, we used to go to museums together."

"You, in a museum?"

"Omi got me into it. I mean…I didn't really like art much until after he left. Then…I don't know. I just started drawing and stuff."

"That's cool," Araki said indifferently. "But I guess now he's too busy to go, then, huh?"

"Go?"

"To a museum, or whatever."

"Yeah," Ken said. "Though…it would be nice to do it again…" Araki nodded.

"Hey, ask him and we'll all go together." Ken evened his eyes out at Araki and thought to himself, 'are you sure I wouldn't be a third wheel?'

"Maybe," Ken said.

"I'll call you," Araki said, nodding. "So…who is Omi to you, anyway? You said you weren't related, but I don't know."

"Why would I lie?" Ken asked. Araki shrugged.

"I don't know," he said. Ken folded his arms and gave him a stern look.

"Omi's one of my best friends," he said seriously. "He's like a little brother to me."

"Don't get all noble on me," Araki said, punching him with force in the arm. "I'm stronger than you, Ken."

"What, you gonna beat me up?"

"No. Just saying that I could if I had to."

"How did we get to you threatening me?" Ken asked, becoming confused. Araki chuckled.

"It's all in fun, dude, calm down."

"Humph." Ken unfolded his arms and relaxed. "Well, anyway, I can't wait to eat."

"You going home right after?" Araki asked.

"Yeah, I should."

"Then, hey. Tell the Omi kid I said hi."

"Sure."

Ken got home a little after nine. He dropped his things down in his room and was about to turn the TV on when someone knocked on the door.

"Hey, Ken-Ken?" Ken perked. Omi hadn't called him that in ages. Ken rushed over to the door and opened it.

"What's up, Omi?" Omi looked excited, and also like he was hiding something.

"Could you come into the kitchen, please?"

"Well, sure." Ken followed Omi into the living room, where Yohji was standing at the entrance of the kitchen blocking the way in.

"He's here, guys," Omi said. Yohji turned and stepped back a little. On the table was a small, round cheesecake with the words 'Congratulations, Ken!' in blue icing over the top. Ken felt his heart leap into his throat and he put his fist to his mouth. He didn't know what to say.

"Congratulations, man," Yohji said, patting him on the back as he walked him over to the table.

"Thanks, Yohji…" Ken said. Aya was standing near the sink with plates and forks.

"Congratulations," he said, nodding once.

"I hope you're still hungry, Ken," Omi said, clasping his hands. "I was so excited when I heard. I know you guys like to party, so…I didn't think you'd be home so soon. But I'm glad you're here. Congratulations!" Omi hugged him tightly.

"You guys…are the best…" Ken said. He was so excited, he could hardly breathe.

"Aw, you flatter," Yohji said. "Let's eat. Omi baked it special for you, Ken." Ken nodded, smiling down at Omi.

"Thanks, Omi," he said. "Really."

"I hope you like it," Omi said. "And congratulations again." Ken rubbed his hair then began to cut slices of the cake. He cut them big and placed them on the plates as Aya handed them to him. They stood around the kitchen eating while Ken told them about the game.

"You won the game?" Omi asked when Ken told him about having blocked the goal. "That's so awesome. Isn't that awesome, Aya?"

"It's incredible," Aya said, slowly eating his piece of cheesecake. Yohji went for another slice.

"Well, Ken's incredible," he said. "Being a goalie's not something just anybody could do."

"That's right," Omi said. "I've played before. It's absolutely crazy out there!" Ken perked.

"Oh…speaking of that…" he said. "Omi, do you remember Araki?"

"Hm?" Omi put a hand to his chin and thought about it. "Oh, the guy that likes games? He's a really lousy gamer, but he's good on the field, right?" Ken nodded.

"He was with me when you called. He says hi."

"Really?" Omi asked. "He remembers me?"

"Yep…" Ken said. "He wants you to start coming to the games again. I think it would be fun." Omi looked to Aya. Ken was certain that Aya would say no.

"Isn't the season over now?" Aya asked.

"Yeah…" Ken said. He looked to Omi. "But if you felt up to it, you could come to the ceremony. The guys really liked your brownies."

"My brownies?" Omi asked. He made an odd face and then smiled. "It sounds like fun…" he said. "Aya…would you come with me?"

"Sure," Aya said. Yohji stuffed the last of his cheesecake in his mouth, looking around at everyone.

"So…no invitation for me, huh?" he mumbled. Omi looked at Ken.

"He can come too, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Ken said. "It would be cool if we could all be there together." Omi looked eternally gleeful. Ken could help but smile at him.

"It's going to be so much fun," he said. "And I'll make brownies again, of course." He looked at Ken's plate and motioned towards it. "Is it good, Ken?"

"It's heaven," Ken said.

"I'll third that," Yohji said, reaching for his third slice.

"You keep going and you're going to have to hit the gym," Aya said. Yohji smirked and shook his head.

"Nah," he said. "I get plenty of exercise each night, trust me."

"Oh, Yohji-kun," Omi said, playfully hitting his shoulder. Yohji chuckled at him.

"Sorry, chibi," he said and he continued eating his cheesecake.

Thank you for reading and please review,

kaj