EDIT: JUNE 7, 2016: I'VE CHANGED THE TIMELINE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING ON. MINOR MODIFICATIONS ON THE PLOT, AND EXPECT CHAPTER TWO SOON. I DO SUGGEST THAT YOU READ IT AGAIN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE READ IT ALREADY, AS SOME CONFLICTING PARTS WERE REPLACED.
Original: April 23, 2015
A new story I thought of. Enjoy!
Everything will seem a bit shady from the start, but it'll clear out in the next few chapters or so.
Set after Holy Road Arc.
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Prologue
I was hyperventilating.
I stood there, in front of the door separating me from coach Endou, tightly grasping the papers that would grant me my leave from Raimon. Leaving my team... just the thought of leaving makes tears well up in my eyes. I really didn't want to go, leaving this team after everything we've been through- Holy Road and everything- would just be the same as the feeling of betraying them. They're like-no, they are my second family, we've all been through thick and thin and it would be a shame to leave. If it was only up to me I wouldn't want to go, but I know I'm not the only one struggling to decide whether to leave their respective teams or not, there are actually three of us. The reason we're leaving? Well... I don't even know the answer to that, all I know is that I need to, or else. I swallowed. Consequences would happen, bad ones.
After rechecking the papers for the umpteenth time, I finally open the door to the club room and see him apparently brainstorming some strategies and formations with Miss Haruna.
" Coach. " I say from the door loudly enough to get both their attentions from the screen.
" Yes, Tenma? " he replies, his attention still at the screen, though Miss Haruna glances for a while and smiles before bringing back her focus to the screen as well.
" May I speak to you... perhaps in private? " that got his attention, finishing up things with Miss Haruna, she left the room immediately after and I was left with Coach in the clubroom, he motions me towards the front and I follow, getting tenser each step I take.
" So Tenma, what did you want to talk about? "
" Well, it's about... ugh, how will I say this... " I reply and hand over the papers hastily without eye contact to him, he just grabs the files from my hand and silently reads them, eyes narrowing each passing minute.
" We need to talk in private, and I mean really private. " he says, giving me a glare enough to send shivers for the next five minutes as we went to his office at the next floor of the soccer building.
Coach closed the door and locked it as we entered his office, it was quite the usual office space, except for the huge glass pane overlooking the soccer field behind his table that had papers of varying sorts scattered all over. Shelves with books of soccer manuals, magazines, and training plans were lined at the sides except the glass pane.
"Be honest with me Tenma. What's the real reason behind this? I know it not just a coincidence that three students from varying soccer teams leaving their schools, with all the same reasons, which only say that you're needed for confidential purposes I may add" he spoke kindly, yet with the usual authoritative tone you hear from grown-ups.
I froze in place, I haven't even considered the fact that he would've gotten information about our leave so this left me speechless. If he already knew, then there's no point in lying anymore, I could just tell him the simple truth that even I don't know what is going to happen, or lie and say it was about my family back at Okinawa.
"To be frank, I don't know-"
He sighed
"Don't worry." He started "I know why you're leaving, in fact. I'm not surprised at all, I always knew this day would come, but the one shocking thing about this, is that I thought Kidou, Gouenji, and I were the ones to b- What do you mean you don't know?!" He put his hands on his head for a moment, baffled by the situation, and after a moment he spoke again.
"Bah, I'm sure it'll be explained to you." He faced away from me and I'm sure he was cursing someone in three different languages. After he seemingly calmed down, he faced me again. "Just, wait for instructions, I'm not in the place to speak about it."
I just nodded, still processing the events happening. "Very well, I'll handle all the work needed in order for you to leave as soon as tomorrow, although..." he paused for a while "Say your goodbyes to the team before you leave, maybe after afternoon practice so no distractions will be caused, though I'm not sure of the long-term effect-"
"It's okay Coach." I intervened. "I was planning on saying goodbyes tomorrow too, I also know of the consequences to come because of my decision..." my voice dissipated as I went through the last phrases.
There was a long pause between the two of us after I spoke. The awkwardness was really getting to me, I was about to speak up when he spoke up. "I hope you do know how this will affect everyone, but nevertheless, I will let you go... but please, don't forget to bid farewell to your teammates and friends. I don't know what trials you are going to be experiencing, just. Keep safe, Tenma"
I smiled, not the most genuine smile I could give off but a smile is a smile "Sure Coach, I'll make sure of that."
Without any delay, I thanked him for the time and his understanding of the situation and left his office. While slowly walking down the dim, empty hallway towards the stairwell, I tried to hold back my emotions while remembering all of the times the team and I were together (A/N: Again too lazy to specify them all. Sorry!), but I needed to keep strong.
After all, leaving for two years is no joke at all.
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After Tenma left, I slumped down my chair and let go of the breath that I was holding in. Why did it have to be them? Why could it not have been us?
"Tenma, luck isn't the only thing that needs to be at your side."
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"WHAT!"
Echoes of all their shocked voices emanated around the room as I told them the news of me leaving the school. The least shocked of all were of course Coach and apparently Shinsuke, but just by looking at his face, I knew he misunderstood what I just said. God, I'm hating this moment right now...
"I just said... I'm leaving, that's all." I mumbled monotonously, avoiding each of their baffled gazes.
There was only silence until Shindou broke the ever-so-sweet moment "Well, it's just a bit sudden so it's still sinking in... but, you'll only be for a short while right?" the whole club grunted in in agreement to Shindou's statement. Oh, if they only knew how wrong they were...
"The thing is..." I gulped, still avoiding eye contact with them. "I'm may not coming back."
That was all it took to put the whole team into frenzy.
"Alright, alright. Let's hear Tenma out with what he will say first." Coach went on in front of the club and calmed them down, then turned to me and gave me a worried look. I immediately understood his 'how-will-you-explain-this' gaze and decided to continue.
"My reasons would be... for me and Coach only... mostly because I don't even know what I'm going to be running into." I said, the last lines barely audible for someone to actually hear, unless Tsurugi, who was directly in front of me, had good hearing, but I think he didn't hear it. "Don't worry about this. You still have Shindou as Captain, who I may say has been the one guiding you throughout before-"
"Ah, bullshit!" I was shocked as Tsurugi intervened "Why just not tell us why?"
"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with that."
"I'm sure we can still do something about it."
"Maybe it isn't so bad…"
*CLAP*
I looked to my side and saw Coach, who I didn't even noticed, was right beside me until now.
"We're all... saddened by the fact that Tenma is leaving, but we shouldn't let that bother us. I wouldn't like that. Tenma here wouldn't like that. So let's put our sad faces aside and practice!" he said in a very controlled tone. Heck, his last statement even sounded forced.
It wasn't enough as most of them were still speaking with each other in hushed voices, but I think they all felt that coach wasn't very pleased, and it's just a hunch, but I think they may be thinking that coach is angry because of me leaving as well, although in a much controlled way.
While everyone was filing out of the room. Coach came closer to me, holding his phone, looking very serious.
" I think you should leave now, whoever texted me." He faced his phone to me "Has a blocked number, so I can't reply."
I read the text and sure enough it came from a blocked number, but what bothered me the most is the text itself.
Tell Matsukaze to leave, now. The two are already bound for his house.
I only nodded, picked up my back, and used the coaches entrance near the front of the meeting room, to be saved from all the questions they may ask me. I know it sounds mean. No, I know it is mean, and that they'll probably hate me for it when they see me again. but they can't know anything... at least for now.
I don't even know what to expect from this, much less the outcomes.
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Hooray! A new one!
Also, expect really, and I mean really slow updates for now. I kinda need to research on this, kinda.
And I'm really sorry if I haven't updated my previous stories, I won't make promises and all that, but I will try and update my stories more.
Anyway, leave a review!