Miki POV

I was walking back home after a long day of practice when I met Karin, "Hey Karin! Is practice over for the guys then?" "Yes. It got over about an hour ago. I was just getting some groceries for dinner. Have you had dinner yet?" She asked. "No Karin.. Practice got over just a few minutes ago. I was heading home." Her eyes lit up! "How about you come over to my place? No! You are coming to my place! I am going to make dinner for you as well! And if you don't come your share will end up being wasted! That will be your responsibility!!" She decided.

I sweat dropped! "Well... If you put it that way... I guess I can't really refuse. .." "Excellent! We can use the opportunity to catch up! What's going on with the girls' soccer club?" "They are doing really well, Karin, thanks for asking. The pressure is there of course; to hold on to the title of champions that their senpai handed down to them but that fact only adds to their motivation and they are all very determined to give it their all!" My mood brightened considerably. Soccer always managed to brighten my day. I guess that's why I chose to become a soccer coach despite my job, which occupied almost 10 hours of the day. But inevitably soccer also reminded me of him... The one responsible for igniting my passion for soccer... soccer linked us both.. an eternal and essential part of our lives. But so many years have passed.. Am I foolishly holding on to a link invisible to everybody else? "Earth to Miki!" Karin brought me out of my stupor with those words. "Oh! I'm sorry Karin. I let my thoughts wander! I must be more exhausted than I thought!" Karin looked at me with her knowing eyes and I knew she understood exactly where my thoughts had wandered. She was one of the few people who knew me inside out. But I really wasn't in the mood for a heart to heart so I changed the subject. "So what's for dinner? It's been a while since I have had someone cook for me! It will be a nice change!" She understood the ploy and went with it. That was one of the great things about her. She never pushed. She listened, understood, gave her opinions when asked but she always gave me my space. "Well... I thought of making vegetable soup for starters and lasagna after. Sound alright?" "Sounds great! Even thinking of it is making me hungry!"

"I'm back and look who I brought with me!!" Yelled Karin as we entered her home. I heard Kenta's footsteps as he tripped over himself getting to the doorway,"Karin! You will never guess who I just talked to!" "Was it Santa Claus? Did he finally acknowledge you as a good kid?" Karin smirked. Kenta glared,"That was one time and I was a kid! Stop publicising the thing dammit! Unless you want me to publish your secrets!" She grinned, "What secrets?" It was his turn to smirk,"You still haven't gotten over your sleep talking habits, my dear sister. I could write a novel with the things I hear from your sleep talk." Karin blushed. That was rare! Karin almost never blushed! I was dying to know what she had said! But I returned the earlier favor by changing the topic. "So Kenta! Who did you speak to and what were you so excited about?" Kenta blinked and then all excitement returned to his face. "Oh! That's right! I just got off the phone with Kyosuke! He said he was thinking about returning to Japan soon!! Isn't that great!!" The last question was obviously rhetorical since he ran off to call the rest of the gang to deliver the amazing news. Me? I was stunned speechless. I was wondering whether the last few seconds of my life really happened. I looked at Karin to find her smiling at me, "Isn't this great? You finally get to see him again! After three years!" I knew that I should have agreed. That I really was looking forward to it. But at that moment my mind was filled with hesitation and doubt. Would he remember me? Would he acknowledge the link between us? Would he brush me off as a figment from his past? I knew rationally that he would remember me.. atleast as a colleague. That his acknowledgement should not hold so much importance... but my heart didn't want to think rationally. And I knew that his reaction to me would either help me soar to heaven or fall to the deepest pits of hell. I couldn't believe how much influence he had over me despite three years of absence! The rest of the evening went by in a haze. I vaguely remembered complimenting Karin's lasagna. I uttered something about being exhausted and left soon after. As I headed home I realised that I was acting like a teenager! So much worry because of a guy! I pushed all thoughts of him away and determined not to reopen that topic until he actually came home, even as a small part of me was chanting happily, "He's coming home! He's coming home!"