Revival of the Soccer Club Part 1
I tried to keep calm, "um... You are...?"
The foreign boy laughed, "Sorry, sorry. I'm Lapo Nuzzi."
"..."
"..."
"...and?"
"Huh? I'm supposed to continue?" Lapo tilted his head to the side. He then thought for a bit, "well, I just transfered like tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"And I want to join Soccer Club! So you need members, right?" The foreigner laughed, "I'm off to find members then! Chao~" Lapo then left the clubroom, shutting the door behind him.
I, nor the other members didn't know what to say. We just sat there in silence.
"Ranmaru... what are you going to do?" Yuuya broke the silence.
"Hmf, let him do what he wants." I frowned, going back to my manga.
"Soccer Club? We don't have one."
"Yes, you do! I'm part of it." Lapo announced.
"Foreigner, I don't know if you just made the club or not, but I'm not interested." The student was getting fruatrated.
"Oh, then why didn't you say before?" Lapo sighed.
"You never let me!"
"Wasting my time..." The Italian boy muttered as he went to ask other people.
I was curious and was following Lapo; to see how he was planning to recruit members. He was not successful at all. Even I wouldn't want to join a club if they asked like that...
"Hey, we heard you were recruiting for a soccer club..."
I look over to see a pair of twins talking to Lapo. They had dark blue hair with bangs that covered one eye each; one the right and the other brother had the left. They seemed to be first years. They each leaned on Lapo's shoulder.
"Are you wanting to join?"
"Hmm..." The twins said in unison, "We really want to... but I heard this team's weak..."
Lapo frowned, "Weak... I'm not sure, I've never seen them play. And if they are weak, then just become strong. Simple."
After staring dumbfounded the twins started to laugh, "You're great man!"
"? I didn't say anything funny?"
The twins put their hands out, "I'm Takao Wataru."
"I'm Watari."
"Position is defender." The said together, "We're in, Lapo Nuzzi-kun~"
Lapo took each hand, "Yeah! ... Did I say my name?"
"...you've been yelling it all over the school..." One of the twins, I think Wataru, sighed.
"Ahaha! Well, I still need to find 5 more... Do you two have any suggestions?"
The twins thought for a bit then answered, "We have one kid..."
Lapo opened the door to a first year classroom. Breathing deeply, he yelled a name, "Konoe Masato! Are you here!?"
A purplish haired boy with glasses jumped in surprise when his name was called. He quickly returned to to the book he was reading. Though, Lapo had already knew who he was searching for. "Hey, Konoe Masato!"
"...you're that guy everyone's talking about... The soccer club..." Konoe sighed, "Please don't talk to me... I'm reading."
Lapo clamped his mouth shut and quietly sat in the chair next to the first year. I was watching from behind the classroom door.
Hours have past, Lapo just sat there, waiting patiently for Konoe to finish. As the sky started to turn orange, the boy finally closed his book. As he was about to put it away, he noticed that Lapo was still sitting there.
"Wah!? Y-you're still here!?" He gasped as he fixed his glasses.
A cheery reply was returned, "Yup~"
Konoe seemed unsure what to say next.
So, Lapo continued, "Soccer Club, I want you to join."
Konoe frowned, "Why me?"
"Wataru and Watari told me you like soccer."
"Them... Liked. I liked soccer." The purple haired boy said. "N-not interested..."
"Hm? You stammered, don't lie to yourself."
"I'm not! Anyways, I haven't heard of a soccer club here!"
Lapo sighed, "Without enough members, it may be gone..."
Konoe didn't say anything else and started to pack his belongings. "I'm sorry, but I have to head home, good bye."
Lapo grinned, "See you tomorrow."
"Don't you dare come again!" Konoe rushed out of the room, slightly bumping into me.
"Came to check in me, huh?" Lapo grinned. He knew I was following him the whole time.
"Why do you try to recruit people this much?" I asked.
The italien just grinned, "Cause I want to play soccer. Is there any other reason w-"
I glared, "I believe this school's better off without a soccer club."
"Huh?"
He doesn't know anything, "Ever thought of why our club suddenly lost almost all of its members?"
"..."
I didn't want to talk anymore, "Give up already... There's going to be no Soccer club." I left the room and Lapo did not bother stopping me.
Soccer just causes hurt... It just causes pain. There's no need to play...
Next day.
"Takao Wataru~"
"Takao Watari~" the twins sang together.
"We were scouted by Lapo-kun to join the soccer club. So, here we are."
"Um... Uh..." I tried to say.
"You guys were the one who told him..." Behind the twins, Konoe walked up. He fixed his glasses, "I'm 1st year Konoe Masato... I-I want to join as w-well..." He blushed.
"We'll gladly accept!" Kou smiled. He pushed aside and let the three inside. "I'm the coach of the team, Seiryuu Kou. Just call my Kou... or Coach, but not both together, sounds weird."
I slipped out of the clubroom. How was Kou still able to smile like that... As if that, never happened.
I walked aimlessly through the halls when I noticed Seki Haruto, a former member of the soccer club, a keeper. He was tall and well bulit with semi-long white hair. The large bags under his eyes made it seem that he never gets enough sleep.
Being in different classes, I don't meet him often, but when I do, we usually ignore each other. It's the best.
"Hey~ you must be Seki Haruto-san!" Lapo's voice echoed as he skidded in between us.
"Oh, Good Morning, captain." Lapo smiled.
"Uh..."
"Yes, I am Seki Haruto." His eyes glanced at me for a second, "You are a member of the Soccer club?"
"Ye..."
"Sorry, but I'm not going back to soccer. Unlike Isaki there, I'm honest to my feelings." The tall boy mumbled before walking away from us.
"Seki Haruto... That height, he'd make a perfect keeper..." Lapo sighed.
I kept my mouth shut. 'Honest to my feelings...'
"Well, later Captain! I have a few more people I'm looking for."
Lunch break.
"Hey, Ranmaru." I lifted my head from my desk to see Yuuya by the classroom door, "Want to eat together?"
Today the weather was very clear making it ideal to be outside. Yuuya and I sat ourselves on a bench inside the school's courtyard.
As we talked, some students came near and threw a smaller kid against the wall.
"P-p-please stop...!" A feminine boy stammered. If it weren't for his uniform, I would have thought he was female. "I-I'm s-s-sorry... P-p-please stop...!"
"Huh?" One of the larger male students grabbed the boy by his uniform tie, "Hmf, you want to say something, Kaede-chan...?"
"Nn..." The boy whimpered.
"Hey stop it! Not cool!" A purple haired boy ran in between, separated the two and stood in between.
"Hmf, you again, Sakurai?"
"Pick on someone your own..." Midsentence, the new boy suddenly coughed out blood. After rubbing the blood away with a handkerchief, "...Size!"
Huh? Didn't he just cough out blood!? Isn't that mean something's bad...?
"Uh... Sakurai..." One of the bullies broke the uneasy silence.
"Pick on someone your own size!"
"Yeah... we got that... but... you just coughed out blood..." The bullies seemed confused. Well, I was too.
"Kazuki..." The girly boy stammered.
"Urgh...! You guys are so annoying!" The large guy prepared for a punch.
"Bring it...!?" Sakurai was ready to counter, however, started to cough some more, breaking his concentration.
"I'll borrow this." Lapo ran up from behind me and grabbed my soda can. He tossed it and kicked it towards the bully.
The can hit him right on the head. The rest of the soda left poured out onto the ground, "Whaat...?" He glared.
"Hurting our club's members... I wouldn't do that if I were you..." The Italian chuckled.
"Huh?" Sakurai and Kaede frowned.
"They are going to be part of the Soccer Club... Can't let my teammates be hurt." Lapo announced.
"Soccer...!? This school's got no soccer club anymore! Was taken down last year!"
"Hm... But we have one now... and will stay if we find two more members... Right, Captain?" He turned to me.
I looked away, "Like I'd care."
Yuuya seemed to want to say something, but he held his tongue.
"...whatever..." The bullies got frustrated by Lapo and decided it was best to leave. After they were gone.
"Soccer club?" Sakurai questioned cleaning the blood.
"You are Sakurai Kazuki and Amano Kaede, correct?"
The two nodded.
"Welcome to Suisho Chugaku Soccer club! Right, captain?"
I sighed, "You can't force people to jo-..."
"We'll join."
"Wha...?"
Kaede started to play with he-er, his fingers, "I was wanting to join soccer club... But I thought this school didn't have... One..."
"Same here. Ah, my position's midfielder." Sakurai informed. "He's a defe-" the boy coughed out blood again.
"Um... Are you sure you're healthy enough to play?" I mumbled.
Sakurai smiled, "No worries, I always do this... nothing's wrong."
"Isn't not knowing a worse problem...?" Yuuya whispered just soft enough so that I was the only one that heard.
Lapo then grinned, "2 more members until we escape club disbandment."
Even Lapo seems to be struggling to convince the last two players; Seki Haruto and Tsukioka Kohaku. He finally tells me how the new members weren't chosen randomly and there was meaning behind the Italian striker's decisions. Chapter 3: Soccer Club's Revival part 2.
What is Soccer to me...?
Current team:
Captain/Forward no. 9: Isaki Ranmaru
Forward no. 11: Kuda Yuuya
Midfielder no. 6: Ryuuzaki Tatsuya
Coach: Seiryuu Kou
Manager: Yukishiro Rau
Forward: Lapo Nuzzi
Defender: Takao Wataru
Defender: Takao Watari
Defender: Konoe Masato
Midfielder: Sakurai Kazuki
Defender: Amano Kaede
