COMPUTER TIME
COMPUTER TIME! YAY! BIG thanks to empty-spaces for all the soccer info she had given me… It's been really helpful and without it this chapter would really and truly have sucked… Prepare for some(Actually this whole chapter is about them) Mizuji in this chapter… I'm thinking of making this couple have an influence in this story.. Or making their relationship into a separate story… (What do you think?)
blond-eko - Thanks... It's hard to write with so much school and projects and this whole issue with my horse has been draining... I hope you like this chapter!
empty-spaces - I think I asked so many questions... Well thanks again, as I said this chapter would have sucked without your help!
Super garurumon - LOL! They should get a room...
Courageous-Flame - So glad you love it!
Gold Dragon36 - See what the mind can do? She worries way too much...
Jxnie - Lol... I never really thought about that... Well nothing could happen... I mean that was only their first kiss!( Kisses...)
Chapter 5 – New Beginnings
Mizuho jogged through the empty streets of Tokyo. It was five in the morning. She usually only got up at five thirty but she couldn't sleep… Something was on her mind and she couldn't shake it off, no matter how hard she tried.
The fact that her best friend was going out with her hero's son made her feel kinda… Left out… She was happy for Izumi; she really was but what about herself? What did it feel like to have someone? She had been a bit of a tomboy ever since she remembered and she had always been one of the guys.
The older she had grown the more girly she became but it was too late, the guy friends she had would always think of her as one of the guys… Not really dating material and even though she would never tell them, it hurt.
She sighed, she couldn't be thinking of silly things like this… She should be really happy for her friend not thinking of the things she had done, it was the past. Besides the right guy would come for her eventually… Right?
Shaking her head she increased her speed as her practice field came into view. For some reason being around the whole soccer scene made her feel safer and less stressed, it was relaxing.
She checked her watch, it was five fifteen, still another hour before practice began but she didn't feel like going back to the flat so she made her way to the locker room, might as well get some extra practice in while she was here.
The lockers were deserted and it was well… Kinda creepy… She shivered and tried to shake the feeling off, after all it was only a feeling and feelings meant nothing. Happy with her conclusion she proceeded to walk out the locker but stopped as she came to the full length mirror.
She looked at her reflection. She had been told that she was beautiful, with alluring green eyes and silky black hair; she was a true Japanese beauty. High cheeks and full rosy lips only added to her appearance. When her fringe wasn't tied it covered one of her intoxicating orbs and at the moment it hung in her face. She had a muscular build while still maintaining a feminine grace. She had curves in all the right places and even though she wasn't as skinny as Izumi she had not on inch of fat on her well toned stomach. (AN – Hope this description helped form a picture!)
She shook her head, making her fringe fly, she shouldn't be looking at herself in a mirror instead she should be out on the field training!
After a few laps around the field she started stretching. First she started with her leg stretches. Sitting down she reached for her toes effortlessly. A small laugh escaped her lips when she remembered how she couldn't even do a simple stretch like this when she had started playing soccer. She could feel her hamstring pulling and she decided to take it on step further and put her head on her knee. (I have to do that in volleyball!) After some time she switched legs and for some reason the feeling of her hamstring pulling relaxed her further.
Next she did her ankles. She rotated her right ankle clockwise and anti-clockwise before moving to her left ankle. After they were flexed she swung her arms in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions before finishing the rest of her stretches.
After fully warming up she found a ball in her locker. There was still another fifteen minutes so she might as well practice on her shooting, her first game was in only one week and it was apparently a rival team that they hadn't beat for three years straight, it was a very important match for the older players and Mizuho didn't want to be a reason why they messed up.
After getting the ball she made her way back to the field. She was going to try a simple exercise. She was stiff on her left hand side for some reason and as much as she tried she could never score a goal on that side if she was on the extreme left side of the goal and it got frustrating.
Placing the ball down, she backed up a few steps before running up to the ball. She concentrated hard and imagined the ball going into the goal effortlessly and the team congratulating her. She felt her foot making contact with the ball but then…
THUD
"Ouch!" the black haired girl cried as she made contact with the firm ground. She opened her eyes and waited for her vision to focus. Once it did she let out a sigh of relief, luckily no-one had been around to see her fall, especially since the ball had only gone a couple of feet…
"Are you okay?"
Mizuho's face went a deep red as she heard the voice; this was so embarrassing, especially if it was someone from her team. They would never let her live through this without constant teasing…
"No, I'm okay!" she replied, closing her eyes and putting on a fake smile to whoever the person was. She looked down and opened her eyes, she didn't want to make eye-contact with her viewer…
"Let me help you." Mizuho nodded and took the hand that was out-stretched. Once she grasped it, she frowned. This hand felt different to any of the girls in her team, it was more muscular… manlier…
She looked up and the blush on her face only increased. Standing there was none other than Pyro Tornado's striker, Kouji Minamoto.
She was speechless as he pulled her to her feet. She couldn't believe she had fallen in front of one of Japan's greatest players. He most probably thought she was such a baka (idiot) for falling and that she didn't deserve to be in the woman's team. He would now most probably go tell Mrs Kamiya and then her dream would be over.
"You're Mizuho Hitoki, right?" he asked.
Mizuho nodded, still not making eye-contact. She was still too embarrassed…
"I used to be stiff on my left side just like you."
Mizuho looked at soccer star with widened eyes. He didn't think she was some wanna-be? He was actually admitting that he also used to be stiff on his left side? No-way!
"If you want I could teach you how I got over it…" he seemed half nervous to Mizuho.
"Really?" she managed to squeak back, making eye contact with his deep blue eyes. She had never told anyone, but she always had a crush on the lone wolf… Something about him always made her insides flutter and her heart beat faster… Not to mention making her blush flare…
"Sure, meet me after you're practice and I'll teach the stretch exercises I have to do in order to make my left side more flexible." Mizuho couldn't believe her ears, he wanted to teach her!
"Thanks!" she replied, her fringe flying as she nodded her head eagerly.
Mizuho felt like she was on Cloud 9 for the whole morning practice. Nothing could bring down her soaring spirits… Not even the fact that they had to do extra suicides because Mrs Kamiya noticed that they were slacking and she wanted them in top form for the game next week.
After practice the coach called Mizuho… She became slightly nervous, was she playing bad? Too much thinking of how she would be able to spend time with Kouji must have been influencing her game…
She walked over to the auburn haired lady and couldn't help but notice that even after having a child, playing professional soccer until the age of 27 and being married, she didn't look a day older than 25. Her hair still had a glossy shine and her hazel orbs still glimmered in the morning light.
"You've been playing really well this week Mizuho," she said, making Mizuho blush slightly.
"Thanks Mrs Kamiya," Mizuho shyly replied at the compliment. She wasn't used to getting compliments and she always acted this way when she did.
"I want you to play as a striker in the match next week."
Once again Mizuho couldn't believe her ears… Play. As. A. Striker? No-way, two awesome things didn't happen in one day.
"Mizuho?" the auburn haired woman asked, waving her hand in front of the black haired girl's face.
Mizuho shook her head, thoughts scattering, and replied, "Thanks so much Mrs Kamiya. It means so much to me!"
"No problem, you have guts and skill. That's what we're looking for," Mizuho nodded before turning around and walking to where Kouji had asked her to meet him.
"By the way Mizuho…" the auburn haired woman called her once more, making the black haired girl stop and turn her head, "Call me Sora."
"Sorry I'm late!" A breathless Mizuho said as she came running onto the field where Kouji was. She had been held up at the lockers and now she hoped Kouji wasn't mad at her tardiness.
"It's fine, it happens," he replied with the slightest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "Follow me and I'll show you…"
Half an hour later Mizuho was successfully kicking the ball into the net from the left side of the post and she had Kouji to thank for that. He had shown her a different technique of how to kick the ball and it was working for her.
"Thanks so much, I can't believe I can actually kick the ball in without falling," Mizuho nervously said after they finished.
"It's no problem." For a couple of moments there was an awkward silence between the two and it was making the black haired girl really uncomfortable. She was just about to say something when…
"Mizuho… Will you go with me to this banquet thing tonight?"
I loved this chapter! I don't know why but I like this couple for some odd reason… Sorry for the cliffie but it just makes the next chappie more exciting! Wonder what Mizuho's answer will be? Then please review for a quicker reply!
Have a great week! (Sorry for the lack of Takumi but next chapter there will be some!)
Angel