Ch.5【Shooting Stars Saga】the beginning of a new trajectory
From that day on the teens daily life started to change ever so slightly. Though it wasn't a huge change, a new wind seems to be blowing through Yui's friend group: Itoshi Sae had tentatively joined them.
«Listen! You are just an interim member on a trial period, got it?» An had stated aggressively on the first day they gathered for lunch as a group of eight.
Of course Sae chose to ignore her. He did so with a raised eyebrow and a look that spelled 'Are you stupid?', before he turned back to his lunch.
This action only irked the brunette even more and the group had to hold her back from punching their newest addition.
In the end Takao decided to step in.
«Well, An... cut him some slack, won't you? There's only about a month left.» Takao had reasoned. Trying to appeal to the girl for peace inside their group. He didn't know the details but he knew that there was some bad blood between Sae and her. It was probably due to something that happened in the past.
Still, what Takao had said left an impact on all of them.
One month. That's right, the first school term ends in a month and then Sae will leave Japan and start his time playing football in Spain as part of the Youth Team of the World's Best Football team, Real Madrid.
Acknowledging that reason, An begrudgingly admitted Sae into the group. And this was also how Sae's busy last month in Japan started.
During the first week, Sae was busy running around getting his passport and other paperworks related to his transfer to Spain done. Thankfully, due to him still being a minor, the Japanese Football Youth Association helped him and mainly his parents handle the paperwork as best as they could. They even provided an advisor and 'manager' that will act as his legal guardian in Spain to guarantee his safety and wellbeing there. Said advisor aided them in all the steps and details and will be there for further questions during his time abroad.
Thinking that it was a drag, he saw it as a necessity to reach his goal and with that in mind Sae got things done quickly.
By the end of the week, all the paperwork has been done and his passport issued. It should arrive about a week prior to his departure.
Now, all he needed to do was to pack all the things mentioned in the Information Sheet they had received from the Royale Youth Team.
With that in mind, Sae decided to focus on the next thing that was on his itinerary: shopping.
Running down the flight of stairs at his home, Sae hurried towards the kitchen where he knew his mother was at.
«Mom.» Sae called out the moment he reached the kitchen.
His mother turned around with a slight startle. «Goodness, don't come running like this.» She scolded her son and put the knife aside as she turned to look at him.
As his mother she could tell; for her son to come running to her like this meant that he meant serious business.
«What's the matter, Sae?» She asked with a motherly smile.
Sae watched his mother for a moment, not saying anything. He then looked at the counter and the boiling pot behind her. After a few seconds, Sae looked into his mother's teal colored eyes again.
«Can you give me the information letter? I'm gonna get some stuff.» Sae told her resolutely.
His mother looked at him for awhile. Silence reigned in the room, only the ticking of a clock and the sound of the boiling pot in the background filled the silence.
His mother's soft sigh interrupted the silence. «Fine.» She said with a smile. «But let me finish dinner first. There's no need to rush this.» She said and turned back to the stove.
Sae watched as his mother turned her back to him. He continued to watch her for a bit longer. The woman reflected in his eyes at this moment seemed to look a bit...
'Lonely.'
This thought unsettled him for a bit and Sae returned his focus back to the kitchen counter in front of him. He raised his left hand and looked at it for a moment. He flexed his fingers and clenched them into a fist resolutely.
«I'll be back.» Sae called out, as he turned around and left the house for his usual evening run.
The moment the woman heard the door close, she stopped stirring the pot and looked towards the door, a yearning yet fond look in her eyes.
With a sigh she went to the kitchen counter and pulled out a letter from the top drawer. Next to the letter with an overseas address was a note written in Japanese attached.
Pulling out an empty piece of paper from the drawer, the woman slowly started to take some notes herself.
Hellhole
Takao: Anyone want to hang out tomorrow?
Meg and I will be in town
Yuusuke: Sure. Time and place?
Takao: 10am, South Entrance Ginza Central Station.
Meg will ask the girls as well
Yuusuke: Sure
Shuu: Ginza? How unusual
Takao: Meg needed to stock up on some stuff
Me as well
Yuusuke: Sounds good though. Let's wait for Sae
ItoshiSae You down?
Sae returned home an hour later with a grocery bag in tow. Inside of it he had a few of the drinks and snacks he got from the convenience store on his way. Among them were some popsicles he and Rin used to eat when they were children.
Starting from their dinner a week ago, the siblings had been talking a bit more compared to before. It wasn't like they were on bad terms. The truth couldn't be further away from that, but from the start except for the time they spent on football together, there wasn't much the siblings talked about.
«I'm home.» Sae mumbled as he sat down on the little step that divided the entrance from the hall and loosened the tie on his running shoes.
«Welcome back, Nii-san» He heard Rin calling from upstairs. The sound was muffled from the bedroom door, meaning that Rin was probably busy doing his homework right now.
«Mom's out, stopping by at work. Dinner's in the kitchen.» Rin added before Sae could ask.
Setting aside his grocery bag onto the kitchen counter, Sae got himself some dinner before checking his phone.
His phone was usually on mute or silence and set in a way that only urgent calls can reached him.
As he opened it he once again realized the missed LINE messages.
'They want to meet up at Ginza tomorrow.' Sae thought as he quickly skimmed through the messages while absentmindedly chewing the last bite of his food at the same time. Ginza was a high end shopping district and not exactly a place where teens their age usually loitered around at.
For a moment Sae had forgotten how influential their families actually were. At school, they just seem like normal people.
Well, it's not like Sae could say anything about that since his parents had a wealthy income themself.
Quickly opening the app, Sae typed his response.
Hellhole
Yuusuke: ItoshiSae You down?
Sae: No
Thinking that this was the end of the conversation, Sae put his phone down. However, before it touched the surface his phone vibrated signaling him an incoming call. Sae checked the number and pressed the hang up button immediately. The screen lit up again. And Sae pressed it away once more. This game of tug and war continued until Sae's patience reached his limit and he accepted the call.
«What?» He asked in a passive-aggressive voice. There was some ruffling sound and soon a clear voice spoke up.
«Sae-san? Is that you?» The voice was undeniably female and much too familiar for his liking. His temper immediately ceased as he hurried to regulate his voice.
«Yui.» He acknowledged the person on the other end. «Wait a minute.»
Before Yui could say anything, Sae shifted from his seat. He quickly cleared away his dinner and hurried up the stairs into his room. The door closed with a shut and he stood there with his back leaned against it. For a moment, it was silent.
«Sae-san?» Yui asked a slight hint of worry in her voice.
«Yes.» Sae replied curtly. His eyes were looking at his reflection in the window. A weird tingle spread through his body but his expression remained the same.
«Are you busy? I'm sorry.» Yui apologized sincerely.
«It's fine. I'm not.» Sae replied masking his emotions.
«Why are you calling with Yuusuke's number?» He asked back before the girl could say anything. This question has been nagging him a bit and once again it just slipped out before he knew it.
For some reason Yui started to laugh softly. «We are at Megumi's and Takao's right now. And about tomorrow... Can you really not come?» Yui asked. Her voice drifted into a sadder tone near the end. It made Sae pause and reconsider for a moment but he couldn't just cast his plans aside. He tried to say it in the kindest way possible.
«I have plans tomorrow...» He confessed honestly.
«Is it because of your transfer?» Yui asked back with obvious curiosity. Her voice was now back to her usual cheerful one and Sae felt a wave of relief wash through him.
«Yes, there are some things I need to get.»
He heard Yui hum sadly. She seemed to be very disappointed even over the phone and as bad as it made Sae feel, somehow it also made him happy.
«Then I guess it can't be helped. Good Luck with that, Sae-san! And if you ever have time, let's meet!» The girl cheerfully invited him out.
«...Sure.» Sae replied stoically. His words were cold but his voice carried a slight sense of anticipation in them. Not that it was obvious yet. Receiving his confirmation he could see the smile in her jolly reply: «Then, see you again, Sae-san!»
Without needing him to give a reply, the call ended again. Sae looked at the now black screen. The last few minutes felt like a dream. He had been feeling weird lately whenever a certain girl was involved but he hadn't had the time nor the capacity to dwell on it for long. At current all he knew was that he didn't mind her company and that was enough for him.
Remembering the dishes he had left behind, Sae left his room again. The moment he reached the lower floor, he saw his mom in the hallway. She had just returned home and was now hanging her jacket onto the wardrobe.
«Oh, Sae. Good timing. Come here.» His mother called the moment she saw him. She quickly disappeared into the living room. Sae followed her with a hint of curiosity. He watched her enter the kitchen and pull open a drawer. She put it on the kitchen counter that separated them from another.
«It's not much but I have written down the things you'll need to buy. As for the rest Mom or Dad can get them. Just make sure to get all of these, okay?»
She tapped onto the paper as if to emphasize the importance of the matter. Sae took the list and skimmed over it. Most of it was stuff he could find at a department store, nothing too big or heavy; just daily necessities and sports gear.
«Got it.» Sae nodded with gratitude in his eyes.
He didn't know how much his parents provided but he knew that things would be much harder without his parents support and he was thankful for them. He skimmed through the list with a thankful nod.
His mother watched him. «Your father and I can't go with you sadly and Rin has practice tomorrow too so you'll have to go alone. I'm sorry.» His mom said as she brushed her son's hair. Sae turned his head to the side in embarrassment. Thinking back on her words, he found that he didn't really mind their absence. It was something he was used to. Most of the time their parents were busy throughout the day. Returning home late at night, only to leave again early in the morning. The only reason their parents were coming home early these days was to spend time with the family before his departure.
«It's fine.» Sae replied and took the list. He left but stopped at the doorway. «Mom.» He called out causing the woman to look at him.
«Thanks for the meal.» He mumbled and left.
Meanwhile at Megumi's and Takao's mansion, Yuusuke was left on his own. The girls had split up earlier leaving the guys alone. They were currently chilling in Megumi's room. As for Takao, he went to take a bath leaving Yuusuke alone in the huge and empty living room.
It gave him time to think about a certain red-head. 'It was a good idea to let Yui do the talking.' Yuusuke thought as he remembered the call. In hindsight, it was obvious to him that Sae was more approachable towards the girl. Thanks to her he had learned that Sae was busy running errands. The phrase 'have to get something' - Sae had said lingered on Yuusuke's mind. From what Sae said Yuusuke deduced that Sae was most likely up to buying something, a shopping trip as you could say.
«Now...if our goals are the same... how do we convince him to join us?» Yuusuke thought aloud as an idea suddenly popped into his head. Smiling deviously, he got excited for tomorrow to come.