Hey, guys. Here we are again, and this is where things truly begin. Thank you all for your comments and feedback; I'm encouraged by all of it. And now, the moment you have all been waiting for. Introducing the first members of our new cast! This is so exciting. I hope you all have a good first impression of them.

Enjoy.

A hush swept over the soccer field as the two teams prepared for the inevitable throw-in. Time was ticking down quickly–the game was in the 89th minute of play with only three minutes of extra time–and one team was going to have to make a play. The game was tied at two goals apiece in a game where both teams were jockeying for playoff positioning. A draw would do neither of them good.

Yuki Kamiya swiped his left hand through his shaggy orange hair to keep it out of his crimson eyes. Sweat dripped from his forehead down his chiseled cheeks and jaw before sliding down his neck. The twelve-year-old boy took a piece of his cardinal red uniform shirt and pulled on it to send some air up to his face. He was exhausted from a long match, but also determined to send his team into the city playoffs with a win. He had scored one of his team's goals and assisted on the other, so he had one more on his mind. The one that would send his team––Bunkyo FC United––into the city playoffs with momentum and still undefeated.

"Yuki!"

The boy glanced at the sideline as his teammate prepared to throw the ball in. His father, Tai Kamiya––who also happened to be his coach––gestured a finger for him to move further downfield. Yuki did as asked and moved a few yards away from his position. His coach held out a hand telling him to stop, which he did.

In came the ball and the action resumed.

Yuki darted toward the net, but was met with resistance from a defender. He broke past the defender and circled around, waiting for a ball to come his way. His teammates passed amongst themselves, but they weren't looking his way yet. His father barked out instructions as the player with the ball broke free toward the goal box. Yuki sensed it was an onside play, and saw his chance.

"Here! Here!" he shouted, anticipating the ball to come his way.

His teammate made eye contact with him and passed the ball over with a quick tap of his foot. Everything passed in slow motion as the ball came hurtling towards Yuki's foot. He accepted the pass without a hitch and aimed with his eyes where he was going to kick. The keeper stood in front of him, arms spread wide and prepared to come in if he had to. Yuki had only a split second to make a decision on where to go.

With his momentum carrying him, Yuki kicked to the right. Everything around him went silent as the ball sailed to the net. The keeper dove to his left, but it was not in time as the ball went past him and into the back of the net.

Yuki thrust his arms up in the air and let out a loud, jubilant roar of excitement. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he ran over to the left corner and slid across the ground on his shin guards. His teammates mobbed him and celebrated with their captain.

The whistle to signal the end of the game finally came. They had won.

Yuki got up from the group celebration and ran toward his father on the sideline. The man was just as excited and ecstatic about the victory as his son was. Yuki leapt into his father's arms and hugged him. He felt the man's arms wrap around him and squeeze him tight.

"Way to go, son!" Tai said, ruffling his hair.

"We did it! We did it, Dad!" Yuki replied just as happily.

Father and son reveled in the moment as they held each other.

"I'm so proud of you, Yuki," Tai said as the two of them walked back home. "That's what I expect to see every time we step out on the field."

Yuki beamed with pride. "It was nothing, Dad," he said humbly. "Haru made a heck of a pass. I wouldn't have gotten it in if it hadn't been for his pass."

"Always the team player, I see. But you executed when it mattered the most. Be proud of it."

"I am."

Yuki let out a contented sigh as he looked out at the skyline of Bunkyo ward – the high-rises, the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo Dome City amusement park with the Dolphin roller coaster, and the Kanda River. He had changed out of his soccer uniform and now wore a red warmup jacket with his club's emblem on the left side of the chest. The emblem was a shield featuring a 'B' and 'U' interwoven together with a symbol that looked like a sun in the middle. His pants were black with red stripes going down the side of the leg, and his damp orange hair almost completely covered his face.

Today had been quite a day, but what was about to come would be even better. He was looking forward to it even more than the soccer game. A light blush covered his face.

"What are you thinking about?" his father asked with a slight tease in his voice.

The boy shook his head out and tried to look normal. "Nothing," he said. "I'm just looking forward to tonight."

Tai chuckled. "Anxious to see Naomi, are we?"

The slight pinkness in his cheeks darkened so that his face was now slightly red. His best friend Naomi Izumi and her family were back from their vacation house in Nashville, Tennessee, so both families were having dinner at the Izumi apartment to welcome them back. The Izumis were gone for three weeks to end the summer break, but returned the night before.

"Dad!" Yuki whined.

His father laughed again. "We're all excited to see them, so you're not alone there, Sport."

Yuki pushed his father's hand away as he tried ruffling his hair again. His eyes were drawn to his dad's tattoos, which were proudly displayed openly on his arm. A weird-looking sun was tattooed on his outer wrist and the one star Dragon Ball covered his outer bicep. Yuki saw the small transition above the ball to a dragon's scales before the sleeve cut it off. That was the traditional Japanese dragon tattoo on Tai's shoulder and left pectoral.

"Nice to know that, Coach Orange Star," he teased.

"That's Dad to you, mister," Tai shot back with a laugh, giving Yuki a gentle swat.

Yuki looked ahead and saw that their apartment building was only three blocks away. The Kamiya family lived in the penthouse apartment at the top of a posh apartment building in Bunkyo ward. With a smirk, he took off running.

"Race ya back home!" he cried with a laugh.

"No fair!" Tai shouted back happily. "I wasn't ready!"

Yuki giggled as he heard his father give chase. "You're getting slow, old man!" he teased.

"I'll show you who's an old man."

Even though he was tired from the match, Yuki still had enough energy in his legs to run the three blocks to the building. He glanced to his right and saw that his father had caught up to him. The two were neck and neck as they got closer to the imaginary finish line.

"I win!" Yuki cried victoriously once they reached the door.

Tai chuckled. "No, I got you this time, Sport."

"No, you didn't," Yuki shot back. "I was a millimeter in front when we reached the door."

His father ruffled his head again. "Whatever you say," he said with a chuckle. "I'll let you have this one, but next time, I'm gonna win."

Yuki chuckled as he opened the door. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that."

"Let's settle this later. We have to go upstairs and get washed up."

The two took the elevator up to the top floor. After about twenty seconds, the elevator doors opened and the two walked out into the open hallway to their home. The high-rise was full of other high-end family units for those who could afford it. Because Tai was a retired professional soccer star, the Kamiyas set up their home here. It was close to everything, but still had all the things needed to be a good home.

Tai and Yuki walked until they saw a door with the number '1056' on the side, with a nameplate that read 'Kamiya' on the other side. Yuki brushed some hair out of his eyes as Tai inserted the key and unlocked the door before opening it.

"We're home," he called out.

"Welcome back, you guys," Yuki's mother, Sora, replied from somewhere in the apartment.

Tai took his shoes off and stepped into his slippers at the top of the ledge. "Sora, where are you, honey?"

"I'm in Squirt's room."

As his father wandered down the hallway to the right, Yuki put his cleats on the wooden genkan before he bent down to untie his red and black Asics shoes. Once that was done, he put them next to his cleats and stepped up into some slippers that were marked as his at the ledge of the hardwood floors.

The inside of the apartment was more spacious and luxurious compared to most normal Japanese apartments, but felt homey and comfortable enough that it didn't feel like a wealthy family lived there. The door opened up instantly to the living room, which featured a full-length couch that had two large cushioned chairs on both sides and a maple wood coffee table in between. A large, flat-screened television hung up on a wall adjacent to the couch. Below that were cubbies filled with a DVD player, PlayStation and Nintendo, movies, and plenty of video games.

Next to the entertainment center was a case filled with trophies, soccer balls, a signed FC Tokyo jersey, a signed Japanese national team jersey, and signed photos. All of them featured Tai in some way or another during his playing days. The biggest prize of all – displayed prominently in the case – was an Olympic gold medal. Yuki smiled. He hoped he could have as big of a trophy case when he eventually became a pro soccer player as his father did.

To the left of the living room was an open kitchen with all the essentials, such as a refrigerator, dining table, microwave, rice cooker, stove, and an oven––a rarity in Japanese households. Yuki went into the kitchen and opened the fridge. Inside were a multitude of organic foods from fruits and vegetables to meat, fish and chicken. No junk food or soda could be found. He reached in to grab a melon-flavored water.

His mother appeared as he came back into the living room. Sora Kamiya was still radiant at the age of forty-two; her auburn hair still had that lush glow to it and her crimson eyes glowed with life…usually. Now, she looked tired and her face was wrought with worry. She held a small girl in her arms that could pass as her own mini-me. Yuki smiled at the girl as he approached his mother.

"Hey, Airi," he said, stroking her head.

"Yuki!" his sister greeted with that adorable smile he loved so much. Airi was only five––her sixth birthday was in two weeks––but she reminded him so much of their dad when she smiled. The two of them both took their physical appearances after their mom, but he sensed a great deal of their dad in her as well. "Did ya win?"

Yuki chuckled. "Of course we did. I scored the winning goal."

"Yay! I knew it!"

The boy then looked up at his mother. The smile dimmed a little.

"Hey, Mom," he said.

His mother forced herself to smile. "Hi, sweetie," she replied. "Happy to hear the game went well. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Yuki sucked in his lip. "What's going on with Squirt?"

The smile instantly vanished from his mother's face. "He has a bit of a cold," she said. "I don't think he's going to be able to go to dinner with us."

He cocked an eyebrow. "How bad is it?"

"Not that bad. Just a runny nose and a bit of coughing."

Yuki could not help but roll his eyes and let out a groan. "So? He can just put on a mask and go with us," he said. "You're overreacting as usual, Mom."

"Yuki, just go shower and get changed," Sora replied sharply. Yuki knew that the discussion was usually over when she used that voice with him. "We don't have much time. We have to leave soon."

"But–"

"Shower. Now."

She walked back down the hallway with his sister in tow to Airi's room. The boy wanted to scream in frustration. No matter how much he tried to reason with his mother, she always did this––walking away after telling him to go do something rather than trying to understand what he was saying. He couldn't get through to her at all.

It wasn't always like that. When he was little, she was his whole world; he worshipped the ground she walked on. The two of them were as close as could be. But now, he didn't know what to do to get her attention. All of her attention seemed to go to his younger brother, Kenya – or Squirt as the family all called him – especially when he got sick. Yuki could understand why she would, but it didn't mean it was right for her to ignore him completely.

Yuki went down the hall to the bathroom with a frustrated sigh. He stopped when he passed the first door on the left. It was closed, but that didn't make a difference to him. His face fell as he stared at it longingly. He chewed on the inside of his lip. This room served as a constant reminder of what was missing in the home, and the wounds from these last couple of weeks were still raw to him. With a quick inhale through his nose, he resumed his journey back down the hall.

Before he went into the bathroom, he stopped at an open door on the right side of the hall and peeked inside. The walls were painted navy blue and featured posters for video games––Mario Kart, Street Fighter, and Tekken among a few. A large twin bed sat on the right side of the room and had someone in it––a boy with three tissues littered beside him on the comforter.

Yuki put on a small smile as he stepped into the room.

"Hey, Squirt," he greeted before coming to his brother's bedside. "You feeling okay?"

Kenya Kamiya, nine years old, nodded his head before blowing his nose into a tissue. It was now red from all the blowing he seemed to have been doing with some snot clinging to the top of his lip.

"I'm fine," he said in a nasally voice. "Mom just gave me some medicine, so it should kick in soon."

Yuki's smile became much easier as he stroked his brother's shaggy chestnut brown hair. Kenya's eyes were brown, like their dad's. Kenya's tenth birthday was coming within the next couple of months. How he managed to make it to this point was a miracle in Yuki's eyes. He loved his little brother more than anyone else in the world. The two of them were so close that they almost never left each other's side when they were home. He couldn't imagine his life without Kenya.

"Think you'll be okay to go to dinner with us?" he asked.

Kenya nodded. "You don't have to worry about that," he said. "I'm going. I haven't seen Shiro in three weeks, so I want to be there to see him. I need to see all the new things he promised to show me."

Yuki fought to keep himself from frowning, and managed to do so. Shiro Izumi was Naomi's younger brother. For some reason, despite him and Shiro having an intense distaste for each other, the youngest Izumi child and Kenya wound up being best friends. He'd never understood why.

"Good. Mom seems to think you won't be okay. I told her you could just wear a mask, but she wouldn't listen as usual."

Kenya's face fell. "I appreciate you sticking up for me, but why do the two of you have to argue so much?" he asked.

"Because while I try to tell her something, she doesn't listen," Yuki replied. He took a sharp breath. "I better go shower before she gets on me about not getting in. Get ready."

"Okay," Squirt beamed. "You're still my best brother ever."

Yuki chuckled. "Same."

With that, he left his brother's room.

The door to the apartment swung open, and a boisterous voice that Yuki could recognize half a block down the street followed.

"Hi, you guys!" Mimi Izumi greeted with her usual bright, cheery smile.

Even at the age of forty-one, she was still a knockout with her slim figure, glowing honey brown eyes, and kind face. She was dressed in a pink cocktail dress with her brown hair put up in a bun with chopsticks through it.

Sora squealed as she rushed forward to hug her best friend tightly.

Yuki smiled at the sight as he held Airi's hand. He wore a white polo shirt with sea green stripes going across it and tan cargo shorts. Beside him, Kenya wore a navy blue polo shirt along with the mask over his mouth and nose.

Their mother let Mimi go, which allowed Tai to step forward.

"Hi, Mimi," he greeted, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You guys get back okay yesterday?"

"Yes we did," Mimi replied. "Thanks for asking. It was late, but we managed to get back in one piece. The luxury of having your own private jet to fly whenever you want. You don't have to worry about delays."

She then turned her attention to Yuki and his siblings. The orange-haired boy smiled and bowed in greeting.

"Hello, Mrs. Izumi," he said.

Mimi giggled. "Oh, come here, you three!" She wrapped the three children in a tight hug. "I missed you guys so much. Have you all gotten bigger since we've been away?"

"Not to my knowledge," Yuki chuckled, thankful to finally be free of the hug. As much as he liked Mimi's hugs, she always seemed to squeeze just a bit too tight.

"You okay there, Kenya?"

The boy nodded. "I'm fine," he said, his voice coming through the mask clearly. "Just a small cold."

"Awww. That's no fun," Mimi said, ruffling his hair sympathetically. "Hope you feel better soon, sweetheart." Her eyes then flashed in remembrance. "Oh, where are my manners? Come in. Come in."

The Kamiya family walked inside and took their shoes off. Yuki helped his sister slip her Mary Janes off before stepping out of his shoes. He gazed around the living room in awe.

The walls were a mix of glowing tans and soft browns, giving the room a homey feel. It seemed Mimi wanted to live in a piece of Tennessee at all times because Yuki saw metal works that resembled the outline of the state and the circle with the three stars on the state flag hanging on the walls. The couch was circular and made of leather with a large white coffee table in front of it. The television was propped up on the wall with the DVD player and movies stowed in a shelf underneath.

The one thing that instantly drew Yuki's attention was the family portrait hanging above a shelf that displayed all sorts of trophies and certificates. All four members of the Izumi family stood happily together as they posed for the photograph. His eyes drew to the girl standing in front of Mimi. She looked just like her mother with that same lovely brown hair and those big, brown eyes. A blush spread across his face.

"Izzy! Tai, Sora and the kids are here!" Mimi shouted.

Yuki snapped out of his long stare and glanced back to where she had gone. She stood in front of a door that was just off the living room and knocked on it several times.

"Koushiro Izumi, you come out of that office and say hello this instant! You're being very rude!" She chuckled apologetically as she turned to the family. "Sorry about that."

The door opened and out stepped a man with ruby red hair. He wore a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, showing the silver Seiko watch he wore around his left wrist. An orange tie was tied around the collar. Izzy Izumi wiped his eyes and smiled sheepishly at his wife.

"I'm out, I'm out," he said before acknowledging their guests.

Izzy and Tai shook hands before giving a pat on the shoulder. Sora gave him a hug and kiss on the cheek. Yuki bowed in greeting as he shook the man's hand.

"It's great to see you, Mr. Izumi," he said.

"Hello, Yuki," Izzy replied with a friendly nod and smile. "You look well."

"Thanks." The boy bit his lip. "Happen to know where Naomi is by chance?"

Izzy chuckled. "She's most likely in the kitchen baking tonight's dessert. It's one I'm sure you're all going to love."

Yuki would have drooled if he could. The thought of Naomi's famous desserts and baked goods was enough of a reason to look forward to dinner. They were probably the tastiest in all of Japan.

As the adults caught up with each other, Yuki noticed someone out of the corner of his eye going around the kitchen. A wall with an opening shaped into an archway blocked the kitchen off from the living room, but the glance was enough for him to go that way. The smell of something delicious baking beckoned him like a lighthouse on a dark night at sea.

Yuki followed the smell into the kitchen and found just what he anticipated finding – the girl he saw in the portrait standing at the oven monitoring the time and whatever was inside of it. Even from this angle, the sight of her was enough for sore eyes. After three weeks, he could finally see her.

"Hey, Nomi."

She whipped her head around and Yuki saw her eyes widen in happiness. His heart skipped a beat seeing her smile. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and she wore an apron around her slim figure.

"Yuki!" Naomi cried as she ran up and gave him a hug. "Oh, I missed you."

Yuki's face became as red as his hair. "I missed you too," he said, briefly stumbling over his words.

The two separated, but the redness on Yuki's face felt like it was getting worse. He racked his brain for something to say. Even so, he didn't try to force any words out for the sake of conversation as he drank in the sight of Naomi in the flesh. Seeing her in person was a completely different experience than in any other way.

"Learn any cool baking recipes while you were in Nashville?" he asked.

Naomi giggled at his question. "Yes," she replied, pointing at the oven. "That's what I'm baking right now. Trust me, you're going to love it."

Yuki chuckled. "Hey, I'll trust your four Junior Baking Contest wins to tell me it'll be good."

She giggled again. "You're silly, Yuki. Glad to see you haven't changed since I've been gone." An easy smile appeared on her face. "I got you something while we were over there. I'll give it to you after dinner. Okay?"

He nodded. "What is it?"

"Patience is a virtue, Yuki." Naomi poked his nose with another giggle. "Something you could stand to learn sometimes."

"Oh, come on! I'm very patient," he shot back with a laugh.

"Ha!" she countered. "Remember when we were seven?"

Yuki moaned, covering his face with a hand. "Not that again."

She smirked and leaned in before saying in a teasing voice, "I said not to touch the cookie because it literally came out of the oven. And what did you do?"

"Nomi–"

Naomi poked his chest with a playful smirk. "You took a bite and burned your mouth," she finished.

Yuki sighed. "Really? How many times are you going to bring that up? I was a kid."

Naomi continued counting her fingers as if she was enjoying this moment teasing him. "Then there was the time when I said to come over a few hours before we left on vacation, but you showed up at the crack of dawn. When I was going to buy us tickets for a movie, you bought them as I was talking about it. Or the time I wanted to do karaoke where instead of waiting until school ended, you snuck me out right then and there–"

"Okay, okay," he insisted with embarrassment. "I can't help it when I'm with you. I'd do anything for you."

Yuki's heart raced with excitement as she encircled his waist with her arms and stayed there. One of her eyebrows was raised in a suggestive manner. He could tell she was trying hard not to laugh while staring him down. This was her silent challenge for him to say otherwise. All he had to do was lean in a few inches and kiss her. He could do it. It would be quick and hopefully it would get her to notice him.

Then she said the one thing with that flirty wink of hers while tightening her hold on his waist that always made him want to confess.

"See? Not even you can resist my charms."

That's it. He was done for. It was worth it. As much of a flirt his best friend was, there was no way she wouldn't fall for him after this kiss. He'd figure the rest out later.

Much to his dismay, it never happened. Yuki felt himself be pushed away from Naomi as he leaned in for that kiss.

"Get away from my sister, carrot top!"

Yuki growled in frustration. There was only one person who could be that annoying.

Shiro Izumi, Naomi's younger brother.

Shiro was ten, but he had the disposition of someone much older than that. He wasn't very tall–only coming to about Yuki's stomach–but the fire in his black eyes made Yuki take notice to be careful. Just like his father, Shiro had a head full of ruby red hair. He also had similar shaped eyes and a similar looking face to Izzy. He wore a silk shirt with a tiger pattern and slacks.

"Well, if it isn't the annoying little insect, Shiro," Yuki bit. "I was hoping you'd be left behind in Nashville forever."

"Even if I was, I'd still find a way to stop you from kissing my sister," Shiro shot back.

Naomi looked perplexed before sighing. "Not this again. Come on, Shiro. It's only Yuki."

Shiro scoffed. "My point exactly. The creep was about to kiss you."

She laughed, blowing off her brother's accusation. Naomi headed towards the oven, and peeked through its small window to check on her baking creation.

"He's my best friend. Why would he kiss me?" she asked.

Yuki closed his eyes in defeat for a few moments, then stared angrily at Shiro. It wasn't the first time he had been cockblocked by this snot-nosed kid. Why did Naomi have to have such a nosy little brother like him?

Shiro gave Yuki a smug grin while answering his sister. "I guess you're right. Best friends don't kiss."

He wanted to play dirty? All right. This was war.

"Shiro!"

That stopped Yuki right in his tracks. He looked back and saw Kenya run into the kitchen, his eyes glistening at the sight of his friend. The smug look on Shiro's face melted and he smiled back.

"Hey, Kenya," he greeted, running up to his friend. "How's it going? I missed you."

"I missed you too." Kenya then bounced with excitement. "Show me that stuff you said you wanted to show me when you got back. Please?"

Shiro chuckled. "Okay, okay. Let's go."

Yuki watched as his and Naomi's younger brothers left the kitchen. On one hand, he was thankful Kenya had shown up because he would have likely done something he'd regret to Shiro after too much longer. On the other hand, he still could not understand how they managed to get along while he and the youngest Izumi hated each other with a passion. Life was weird sometimes.

Beep!

"Oh, that's the oven," Naomi said, heading in that direction. "We'll talk more after dinner. I need to get this ready."

Yuki smiled and replied, "Okay," before he left the room.

Skunked again.

Oh well, at least he had dessert to look forward to. Naomi's desserts were to die for. He hoped someday she'd be baking sweets just for him.

So what did you guys think? Let me know your thoughts on the Kamiya and Izumi kids.

I'm going to be starting slow so that way I'm not throwing too much at you guys. Each of the next few chapters will introduce at least one of our new characters.

As always, leave a review and subscribe to the story. I'll see you guys next Saturday after Thanksgiving. I only have one instruction for each of you: Eat as much as you possibly can!

Tootles!