Revival of the Soccer Club Part 2
"Sakurai and Amano, huh? Welcome to the club." Kou grinned.
"Ah, yes...!" Both first years tensed up.
I scratched my head, Lapo actually recruited 6 members into the club within 2 days... Only 2 left for the promised 8 new members and 3 days remaining.
"What are you going to do, Captain?" Yuuya grinned next to me.
"Shut up..." I growled. He still needs two more... And for some reason, he's been pestering only the same two for the past few days; Seki Haruto, a former member and keeper of the club, and Tsukioka Kohaku, a boy from my class.
Seki practically ignores Lapo now...
"Hey, Seki! Soccer! Let's go play Soccer! If I can beat you in a PK, you have to join, huh! How about that?" Lapo yelled, soccer ball in his hands.
Seki walked past without a single reaction.
"Hey! Are you scared of losing!?"
"...you believe that such a childish taunt would work on me..." Seki glanced back for a second.
The Italian frowned, "What? I was suggesting I make the game easier for you?"
Seki paused. He seemed to realize how much his skills were looked down upon. But then continued to walk.
Lapo kept trying to pursue him, "How about I be the keeper and you shoot? Come on!"
And Tsukioka...
The blond haired boy was finishing up his homework during the break as usual. His side bangs barely covered three piercings on his ear.
"Hey! I'm Lapo Nuzzi from the class next door..."
It took a slight pause before Tsukioka reacted, "W-what...?"
"I heard you like soccer."
The boy flinched, "S-sorry, I can't join the club. I have... Studying! I have to study!"
The Italian frowned, "ah..."
The boy was blushing for some reason, "Anyways... Don't ask me anymore." Then, he took his books and left the room.
"Uh..."
"..."
"..."
"...? What...?"
The twins stared at me, "Um... You're a second year? With that height...?"
I was not expecting that question, "Y-yes...! And Yuuya's shorter than me! And you don't doubt his grade!?"
One of the twins, I think Wataru, answered, "Well, Kuda-senpai has a very mature air about him..."
"Unlike you..." Watari finished.
I heard Yuuya snort.
"Hey, don't tease Ran-chan too much..." Rau chuckled.
"Ran-chan?"
I didn't care anymore. What's with this team...?
"Hey, when are we going play soccer? It's a soccer club isn't it?" Konoe mumbled to the coach.
Kou sighed, "I would love too however, until the club is official, we can't use the field or schedule any games."
"Well, that's normal." Sakurai pointed out.
"T-then I'll go home." Konoe muttered. He picked his bag and started to walk away. One by one, the others started to leave.
"You're not going, Ranmaru?" Kou asked as he was about to head home.
"..."
Kou put the clubroom keys on the table in front of me silently before leaving.
I put my head down onto the table and disappeared into my thoughts.
... My back ached as I slowly opened my eyes. It was completely dark. I had obviously dozed off.
"C-c-captain...! Haha! You're face...!"
Sitting across from me, Lapo laughed loudly as he pointed towards me. I could see tears forming in his eyes.
I got up to look at my face. I must have slept on my sleeves for it left deep marks on my face. I didn't see how it was funny though.
"I'm going home, what time is it?" I sighed, however, Lapo stood in my path.
"Before you go back, I want you to play soccer with me for a bit!"
"Huh? Its dark out and we're not allowed to use the field."
Lapo continued, "It's only 7. Besides, the field in the park has outdoor lights until 8."
"...how do you know that, you just moved here." I frowned.
"I've been here at least 4 days, I just asked some of the neighbours." Lapo grinned as he grabbed my arm, "Well then let's go!" He yelled leading me out.
"W-wait!? I need to lock the door!"
Just as Lapo had said, the lights were on and the entire field was visible.
It was then I realized I hadn't played soccer since that day. The day our club was taken. My thoughts were haulted when the ball was kicked towards me and I stopped it with my chest before trapping it.
"Let's play, captain!" Lapo laughed as he started to run towards the net.
Letting out a sigh, I kicked the ball and started to dribble it up. Lapo then went to stop me.
I quickly flipped the ball up with my heel and tried to swing around him, though the Italian easily saw this coming.
He swiped the ball from my possession, "heh, heh. Little rusty you seem, Captain~ my turn!" He started to dribble towards the other net.
Instinctively, I went after him. Before I knew it, we had spent the entire hour running back and forth on the field. The two of us were out of breath and we lay in the grass, exhausted.
"I knew you still like soccer, Captain." He grinned.
Yes, I did like soccer, but, "But I'm still against saving the club." I say as I sat up.
"... I heard you guys were a pretty weak team and were forced to quit. I don't get how that's possible?" Lapo asked.
"It was complicated, okay..." I avoid answering the question. "Soccer is fun, and I love playing it... But its painful at the same time."
"I know. Nothing in this world is only fun." Lapo started, "However, that doesn't change the fact that it is fun in the first place." He got onto his feet, "It feels great to win and hurts to lose; but in the end, you can shake your opponent's hand and truely realize, it was a great game regardless, that's why I love soccer."
"... Isn't that the same with other sports?"
Lapo frowned, "You're a real mood breaker aren't you..."
"Hey! We're shutting off the lights! Time to get off the field!" A voice cried.
"Okay!" Lapo yelled back, then he realized who the voice belonged to, "Tsukioka!?"
"You and... !? R-Ran... Er, Isaki-kun..." The blond boy gasped.
If i remembered correctly, he was in the same class as me and one of the two Lapo was trying to recruit. "What, do you live around here?" I asked.
"...y-yeah..."
I remembered he always avoided people, "Well, I'm going home. Good night... and... It was kinda fun, playing soccer again."
"Wait!" Lapo stopped me yet again. He then turned to Tsukioka, "This is our Soccer Club's captain. Isaki Ranmaru!"
"Yeah, he knows that." I mumbled.
"So, have you thought of my offer?" Lapo ignored me.
Tsukioka didn't respond.
"You skills as a game maker, they would be useful for the team." Lapo continued.
I frowned, huh? I never heard of anything like that.
"You know I haven't really played soccer." Tsukioka sighed.
"But you want to."
"..."
Lapo grinned. "Well, I'll start heading home. Hope to see you tomorrow!" He started to walk away leaving me with Tsukioka.
"..."
"... If you don't want to join, you don't have to." I say before I start to walk.
"Um... Isaki...kun..."
"Just Isaki's fine."
"Soccer... Is fun... Right?"
I stopped, "...sure..."
"I'll think about it, Isaki." Tsukioka then ran down to turn off the field lights.
"...!? You're joining, Tsukioka?" Kou muttered as the boy entered the clubroom.
"...just for now... To see what soccer's like..." Tsukioka mumbled.
"Welcome~ Tsukioka-kun!" Rau cheered as she handed the new member a uniform and training jacket. "We can't practice quite yet, but one more member."
"Lapo's trying to ask Seki." I sighed. Rau and Kou both flinched when I mentioned the name.
"...Seki..."
"Seki's that really tall 2nd year, right?" Konoe asked, "The one with thick bags underneath his eyes."
"Why do you know that?" The twins both frowned.
"...my friend was a big fan of him..."
"Are you sure its not you?" Watari giggled.
Konoe defended himself, "I was more of a fan of Seir-"
"Kuda-kun, you're in the same class as Seki aren't you? Do you talk much?" Rau asked.
Yuuya looked down at his hands, "You kidding? A short guy like me talking to a tower like him? It'd be a laugh at our school. Besides, ever since he left the club, it's even more awkward around."
"Um..."
"I'm starting to doubt we'll have a team..." Konoe sighed.
"Uh..."
"We just need one more!" The twins pointed out together.
"Excuse me..."
"It just can't be anyone though, has to be a keeper." Sakurai sighed, "Does anyone have played that before?"
"..."
"P-please listen to me...!"
Everyone turned to finally notice Ryuzaki there. "I-I'm friends with Haruto-kun..."
"Haruto?"
"Ah, Seki-kun. He really loves soccer still... it's just... He's still afraid..."
"Afraid?" One of the twins, Wataru frowned.
"... You guys know about how our club was completely gone for a few months last year...?" Kou started to speak.
The first years and Tsukioka nodded.
"... You were shut down by Teikoku Gakuen..." Konoe mumbled. "Because of that you..."
"Anyways, Seki was the keeper for that match..." Kou continued, "but it's hard for me to believe he's down from that..."
"He's not... Well... Kinda... But..." Ryuzaki mumbled.
Seki Haruto...
"Unlike you, I'm honest to my feelings."
"... I'll go speak with him."
Everyone gasped as they all stared in surprise at me.
"Ran-chan... you are going to do something? To save the club?" Rau gasped.
"I am a captain... You know..."
"A very unfitting one." Yuuya snickered.
Unable to defend myself, I just scratched my head before heading out of the clubroom.
Seki wasn't difficult to find since he was so tall. I realized I hadn't talked to him much and didn't know how to start the conversation.
And I can see why Yuuya didn't want to talk to him... the height gap... Argh!
"Captain?"
I shot back in surprise to see Lapo suddenly standing in front of me. "What are you doing here?"
"Came to talk to Seki."
"... why him? I mean, why the people you chose?" I asked.
"..." Lapo grinned, "I wonder..." He was definitely hiding something.
"Let's say for now, everyone who likes soccer." Lapo said, "Seki's a real soccer freak. He's just having a hard time joining the team he quit."
"... Why do you know so much?"
Lapo pointed in Seki's direction, "Just go play with him, Soccer." He handed me a ball.
Lapo Nuzzi, who is he...? I just dismissed that thought for now and hurried to Seki.
"Soccer? With you? Since when did you want to play?" Seki frowned.
"Y-yeah..." My voice barely came out.
"... Lapo Nuzzi, huh?" Seki chuckled. "No."
"Wait, wait! Isn't yes the usual answer with that flow?"
"I told you that day, Isaki, I'm done with So-"
I cut him off, "Play! Seki! Shoot three balls If all of them are stopped, I'll forget about asking you."
"Hey, hey isn't that unfair, me stopping all shoots?" Seki pointed out.
"Who said you were keeper?"
"!? What."
"I'll stop all of your shoots!"
Luckily there were some keeper gloves my size. I stood in front of the goal and put my hands out in front of myself. "Bring it on!"
"..." Seki stared frowning at me with the soccer ball trapped underneath his foot. Stepping back he kicked the ball straight at me.
Leaping up I kicked the ball right back at him. "That's one, two more!"
Seki kicked it once more, this time to the right. I easily was able to read this and punched it away. "One more!" I yelled.
Seki nodded as he waited for me to retrieve the ball.
"When this goes in, you're not going to bother me, correct."
"If!" I yelled. "Don't know the results until the end!"
Seki chuckled, "You lack to things as a keeper, Isaki." He then kicked the ball.
Wait? I immediately saw where he aimed. The top left corner. I tried reaching up with my closer left hand out stretched. However, I didn't have the height or jump to reach it completely. My hand barely skimmed the ball as it went into the net behind me.
"Urgh...!"
"Keep your promise... Isaki." Seki mumbled as he picked up his bag and walked off the field.
Tomorrow was the promised day. We needed one more member to be able to keep the soccer club, but...
"A game!?" I screamed.
Kou crunched up a piece of paper in rage, "That principal... He says he'll give the team a chance at saving the club if we win the game tomorrow... He knows we don't have a keeper!"
Rau sighed as she looked at me, "How was it with Seki-kun?"
"...negative..."
"We have to do what we can... but still without a field to practice..." Kou sighed.
"At 7, on the field at the park... Near my place. We can use that field to practice probably..." I suggest, "Right, Tsukioka."
"It's open to anyone around that time." He nodded.
"First team practice... huh? And first game... This escalated qui-" Sakurai started to have a coughing fit.
Wataru and Watari giggled, "If he didn't have all that coughing..."
"He'd be really cool..."
Unable to recruit Seki, the team has to face their first game without an official keeper and only 10 players! Their last hope to keep the club, but does the team have a chance to win? Chapter 4: Yamata no Orochi!
What are we going to do!?
Current team:
Captain/Forward no. 9: Isaki Ranmaru
Forward no. 11: Kuda Yuuya
Midfielder no. 6: Ryuuzaki Tatsuya
Forward no. 10: Lapo Nuzzi
Defender no. 3: Takao Wataru
Defender no. 4: Takao Watari
Defender no. 5: Konoe Masato
Midfielder no. 7: Sakurai Kazuki
Defender no. 2: Amano Kaede
Midfielder no. 8: Tsukioka Kohaku
Coach: Seiryuu Kou
Manager: Yukishiro Rau
