Pieces of Childhood Memories

Chapter 9 – Perfecting the Inazuma Otoshi!

It's a very fine sunny day. The warmth of the sun, the peaceful river and the beautiful view in the Inazuma Tower makes it finer than ever. In school, students were studying. For example, in Teikoku. The teacher was announcing the results of the test. Everyone's test result has been announced, except Kidou and Yoko.

"Kidou..." The teacher called Kidou's name. "One hundred, as always."

Everyone clapped their hands, except Yoko. I must get a higher score than his! She thought. But of course I can't... because... one hundred is the highest score.

"Akiyama..." The teacher called Yoko's name. Please let me get one hundred! Please...! Yoko pleaded in her heart.

You will never beat me, Kidou thought. No one hundred for you, because the highest you can get... is only 99.

"...One hundred."

Yoko was very excited to hear that. "Is it true, sensei?" Yoko asked excitedly to the teacher. She wanted to make sure if what she heard was right.

The teacher nodded. "Yes that is true, Akiyama. Why are you asking that?" she asked Yoko back.

"Just want to make sure," Yoko replied. Oh yes! She thought happily. I got the same score as Kidou! I got the highest score!

Then the bell rang. "Okay class, it's time to go home now. Be careful on your way home!" the teacher said. Then all of the Teikoku students went home. Yoko then approached Kidou.

"We got the same score in the test, Yuuto-kun!" she said happily.

"Good for you. But it won't happen again next time," Kidou replied.

"Well, it won't happen again next time. 'Cause next time I'll get a higher score than you do, The-Smartest-One-In-Class!" Yoko said. Kidou just smiled and went away.

"Just try as hard as you can, The-Second-Smartest-In-Class," Kidou said. (PS: She's smarter than her onii-chan, just so you know.) Yoko just frowned.

"I will beat you one day!" she shouted. Then she ran into Sakuma. "Onii-chan, can I please have a walk around Inazuma Town again?"

Sakuma shooked his head. "No."

"Why?" Yoko asked.

"Because maybe you will play with Raimon again," Sakuma replied.

Kyaa... And I'm their manager! Hopefully onii-chan doesn't know about that... Yoko thought. "Anoo... onii-chan, I don't have any connections with Raimon!"

"I know, but still, you can't go play with Raimon."

If onii-chan agrees that I don't have any connections with Raimon, then he doesn't know that I am Raimon's manager! Yoko thought excitedly. "Hmph! Onii-chan, you're so cruel! I'm going to ask oka-san about this, then. She doesn't know anything about Raimon, so I guess it is okay." Then Yoko ran home as fast as she could.

At home...

"Oka-san, may I go for a walk around Inazuma Town for a while?" Yoko asked. She really hoped that her mother would say "yes".

"Sure," Yoko's mother replied. Yoko's eyes brightened.

"You are the best oka-san in the world!" she said. Yoko's mother, Mikazuki Yuriko, just smiled. Yoko grinned at her. Then, she ran towards the Inazuma Tower.

Yoko has grown into a very cheerful, beautiful and bright girl, Yoko's mother thought. But I wonder, does she still remember you? (PS: What she meant by 'you' is the mysterious person in Yoko's memory.)

At the tower...

"Minna! I'm here!" Yoko waved her hands and ran towards the Raimon team.

"Oh, hello Akiyama-san," Aki greeted. "It's good to see you. Are you going to see Gouenji and Kabeyama perfecting the Inazuma Otoshi?"

Yoko nodded cheerfully. "Yes!" she replied. "And the match is tomorrow, isn't it? I can't wait!"

"Yeah, me too," Aki agreed. "But I think Endou-kun's more excited than we are."

"I know," Yoko replied, "that you like Mamoru-kun."

Aki's face went red. She blushed. "E-Ehh? What are you saying, Akiyama-san? I...don't..."

Yoko chuckled. "Hee hee, just as I figured. You think of Endou that way," she said as she laughed. Aki's face was now redder than ever.

"A-Akiyama-san!"

"Gomen, gomen," Yoko laughed. "I just love to see you blush! It's so funny!" Then she ran towards the rest of the Raimon team to see Gouenji and Kabeyama perfecting the Inazuma Otoshi.

That girl! Aki thought. She makes me blush so hard. But... I do like Endou-kun... a little... He really sounds like Ichinose-kun. Suddenly she remembers about Ichinose. Ichinose-kun...

Time passes, Gouenji and Kabeyama tried their hardest to perfect the Inazuma Otoshi. But still, they failed, because Kabeyama was afraid of heights. Endou and the others tried their best to make Kabeyama not scared of heights anymore, but it was useless. (PS: I know that you know the story already.) Finally, everyone went home and changed their clothes into the casual one. But then Kabeyama was still in the tower. "What's wrong, Heigorou-kun?" Yoko asked. She hasn't went home yet.

Kabeyama nodded. "I... can't perfect the Inazuma Otoshi... no matter how many times I tried... I still... can't... perfect it..." he said to Yoko.

"Heigorou, don't lose hope! I'm sure you can do it! Don't be a pessimist!" Yoko said.

"But..."

"I know it's difficult to overcome your fears," Yoko said as they sat under the tree, "because... I experienced that thing too."

"Really, senpai?" asked Kabeyama. Yoko just smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it's true. But I can overcome it... with the help of my childhood friend. I was scared of height, like you are now. One day, he asked me to go up the Inazuma Tower with him. Since I was scared of heights, I refused. But then, he said that he believed in me that I could climb the Inazuma Tower. So then I tried, and finally I reached the top of the tower," Yoko told Kabeyama.

"Akiyama-senpai..."

"The Raimon soccer team also believed in you, Heigorou-kun. They believe that Shuuya-kun and you can perfect the Inazuma Otoshi, and then use it at the match against Nosei Junior High, and win!" Yoko continued. "If you ran like a coward, your friends will not trust you anymore, and you wouldn't want that, do you?"

-Short Flashback-

"If you can't win the match, then I'll torture you and your friend! You wouldn't want that, do you?" Person C said as he laughed evilly.

-End of Short Flashback-

Someone has told me that sentence before... But it is not the boy of my memories... now who is that? Yoko thought. Argh! First the boy, now another person! Things are starting to get confusing!

"Akiyama-senpai, I'll try to overcome my fear!" Kabeyama said. "But... everyone has gone home... so I can't practice anymore. And the match is tomorrow..."

Yoko just smiled. "Don't worry, I'll practice with you!" she stood up and said.

"H-Hontouni, Akiyama-senpai? Can you even do the Inazuma Otoshi?" Kabeyama asked.

"Hee hee, I'm a quick learner, so I guess I can do it," she replied. "Try to keep up with me!" Then they practiced.

They practiced and practiced, but they couldn't do it, because Kabeyama kept being afraid of heights. This was now the 100th time they tried.

"Akiyama-senpai, I can't do it!" Kabeyama panted.

"Keep trying, Heigorou-kun!" Yoko shouted. "You wanted your friends to trust you, didn't you? And you said that you want to make your brother proud of you, right?"

"Akiyama-senpai... Okay then I'll try again!" Kabeyama panted.

"That's the spirit!" Yoko said as cheerful as ever.

"This is my... Inazuma Otoshi!" Yoko and Kabeyama jump up one by one, then Kabeyama leans back for Yoko to step on and do an overhead kick. They finally perfected the Inazuma Otoshi!

"You did it!" Yoko jumped in excitement.

"I...did it!" Kabeyama said.

"See, Heigorou-kun! If you tried your best, you can do it!" Yoko said to Kabeyama. "I hope you can do the Inazuma Otoshi again tomorrow, but with Shuuya, not with me."

"Will I be able to do it with Gouenji?"

"Of course you can! Be optimistic!" Yoko said. Then she looked at her watch. "Well, I guess I should go home now. Onii-chan and oka-san will be worried if I came home late. I'm looking forward for Raimon's match against Nosei tomorrow! Do your best, Kabeyama! Goodbye!" Then she left the tower.

Meanwhile, another dark shadow, this time it is not Sakuma, was watching. She's still the same like in the past, the dark shadow thought. She's still a big idiot...

PS: Chapter 9 finally ends~! Do you like it? By the way, sorry for the long update! Well, well, this time the dark shadow is not Sakuma! So who was he/she? Why does he/she know Yoko? Why does he/she thinks Yoko's a big idiot? Find out in the next chapter! See you next time, and review please~