Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Hungry Heart Wild Striker
Kanou POV
Since the party was an unexpected change in schedule, Everyone had things to do to clear up their evening. So we separated after arranging to meet at the Orange dorm, a little before dinner. Esaka volunteered to take me to the field before going on his way. We found Rodrigo at the field, shooting at an empty goal. The sight brought back some good memories and I ran down to the field to join him.
"Hey! Rodrigo!" I yelled, causing him to stumble. He looked up at me and his jaw dropped!
I grinned at his gaping expression, "I can understand how it must be difficult for you to be within walking distance of a truly remarkable soccer star... but you really should close your mouth if you want to look less stupid..."
Rodrigo immediately closed his mouth and glared, "As if anyone will mistake you for a soccer star... what are you doing here anyway? Amsterdam kick you out?"
"Why does everyone assume I got kicked out?!" I scowled.
"Because that's the only explanation that fits with your personality!" Rodrigo exclaimed.
"And let's face it, you don't really have a glowing record that demonstrates your ability to mingle!" Esaka put in.
"You know, Esaka, you really shouldn't push your luck. Just because I haven't beaten the crap out of you yet, doesn't mean I won't!" I warned.
"Oooh! I'm so scared of big bad kyousuke!" Esaka smirked.
"Why you-" I was about to grab him when-
"Who are you? No one is allowed on the grounds who isn't a part of the team and practice is going to start in a few minutes." A guy with blond hair cut in and pointed out rather stiffly. Tall and muscled, He looked like the kind of guy who was used to having people obey him without reservation. He was cloaked in the unmistakable aura of snobbishness that reminded me of Spiky Head.
So naturally I disliked him on sight and was about to give him a piece of my mind when Rodrigo interrupted, "We were just leaving, Santiago."
"We were?" I repeated blankly. "Yes. We were." Rodrigo insisted as he dragged me along with him by grabbing my T-shirt and Esaka followed reluctantly, all the while glaring at the guy named Santiago.
The three of us trudged across the field in silence until we were out of earshot, when I rounded on him. "Seriously! When did you become so meek? We could have totally whipped his ass!"
"At soccer - Yeah, we could have. But the guy is the son of a conglomerate who owns half the city. Hell, most of us probably work for him under some guise or the other. It wouldn't be wise to start a fight without knowing the opponent. He isn't someone we should be messing with lightly." He cautioned.
"I can't believe we are so worried about teaching a snot nosed kid, a lesson he deserves! Well, You haven't changed at all, Rodrigo. Still as cautious as ever, I see!!" I observed.
"Well, you guys, as much as I would love to discuss whether we should teach that kid a lesson, I have to get going. There are things I have to do before the party. I will see you at the dorm, okay?" Esaka waved and went on his way, leaving us alone.
Rodrigo and I walked on in silence until- "So what's the real reason you're back?" He asked casually.
I stilled, "What do you mean? I am just taking a break." I said carefully.
"Yeah and pigs fly. From what I have seen of your play last season, you should have received multiple offers for a spot on the regulars in a lot of good teams. And Amsterdam would certainly have offered to renew your contract well before expiry, with a better offer." He looked at me knowingly.
"Yeah Ok." I admitted and we resumed our walking. "So I have received some lucrative offers and am considering them. I was also feeling a little home sick.. so I decided to come here and think things through."
"Homesick huh. Sure you don't mean lovesick?" He smirked.
I threw a punch that he dodged rather easily and laughed. I glared, "Shut up! Where are we going anyway?" I asked, partly to change the subject and partly out of curiosity. We were in an area that was unfamiliar to me.
"I thought we could round up Sakai. His apartment is around the next corner." Rodrigo explained.
"Isn't he on a date? The guys told me he was. " I pointed out.
"Sakai's dates don't last long these days." He sniggered.
"How come?" I wondered. "Did he lose his charm?"
"Oh. He lost something alright..." Rodrigo smiled cryptically.
"Don't make me use the running vagueness joke, Rodrigo! Just spill. " I said impatiently.
"Calm down. I will let Sakai explain it. As it is, He won't be thrilled that I told you this. Here we are. That's his apartment, on the ground floor." Rodrigo pointed to the flat on the right.
The apartment exuded class the way Sakai did. Nothing was overdone and every angle represented a different personality. I could see why Sakai chose the apartment. It complemented him perfectly.
"Well. What're we waiting for? Let's go!"
We walked to the apartment and knocked.
"Don't be a pester, Darla. I told you I'm tired. Let's take a raincheck. " Sakai's voice floated out.
I opened my mouth to clear the little misunderstanding, when Rodrigo motioned for me to be silent and bent to retrieve something from under the mat. Sakai's spare key! Getting the drift, I moved aside for him to open the door. We foundSakai rummaging in a cabinet, obviously looking for something.
"You don't look all that tired to me!" I observed rather loudly.
Sakai got up suddenly, startled at the sound of my voice and THWACK!!
"Owww! Shit! What the hell!"
By reacting so quickly, Sakai had ended up smacking into the ceiling of his cabinet, rather violently. Ouch. That had to hurt. Perhaps I should have waited...
"Umm..." I stood uncertainly, torn between having to apologise and laughing at the ridiculous moment.
Rodrigo had no such compunctions. He was already doubled over in silent laughter at the scene that had unfolded.
Sakai emerged from within the cabinet nursing his head and glared at me... until he realised it was ME! I grinned at him when I saw recognition set in.
"Kanou! What are you doing here? Did you get kicked out?" He asked, alarmed.
That wiped the grin right off my face and sent Rodrigo into another bout of laughter. "I swear, If one more person assumes that I got kicked off the team..." I warned, exasperated.
Sakai led us to a surprisingly neat kitchen and said, "Grab whatever you want."
"Hospitality sure seems a rare commodity these days..." Rodrigo complained.
Sakai shot him a look, "Hospitality is for guests."
"And we are not?" Rodrigo asked.
"Guests" Sakai emphasised, "do not enter locked apartments."
That shut him up. "Fair point." Rodrigo admitted, "Where's the beer? What happened to the snacks?" He asked, rummaging around the kitchen for something to eat.
"In the fridge. As for snacks, I haven't restocked anything from the last time you raided my kitchen. But there should be some chips in the top drawer. Clara dropped them off yesterday."
"Who's Clara?" I asked, the name unfamiliar.
Rodrigo sniggered. Sakai glared at him as he answered me, "She's a friend. I met her at a soccer camp."
"More like a girl friend! " Rodrigo added gleefully. "You know. I still don't get why you keep denying it. Kanou's still in denial too. Keep this up and someday someone else will snatch up your girls and you are both going to be drinking away your sorrows. The two of you are so whipped, it's hilarious!"
"You pride yourself on being so smart.. yet you do something so dumb..." Sakai informed Rodrigo quietly even as he took a step towards him.
Rodrigo stepped back a little warily at his tone. "What are you talking about?"
"You don't think antagonizing us when we outnumber you, is a bit dumb? Especially when you are standing right in the middle..." Sakai asked.
Rodrigo caught his drift at the same time I did. Unfortunately for him, I was faster and itching for some payback. While moving away from Sakai, Rodrigo had inadvertently placed himself nearer to me, which made it easier for me to grab his arms and pin them to his back. Rodrigo was now at our mercy and he knew it.
"Now... Now... let's be a little mature and settle this like adults.." He began desperately. "How about we just apologise and forget about all this?"
Sakai quirked a brow, " 'We' apologise?"
"Okay. How about I apologise and we forget it ever happened?" He amended himself.
We were both silent for a few seconds as if we were considering his suggestion and then -
"I don't think so!" We spoke in unison and grinned at each other.
"Oh. Come on! Two on one is hardly fair!" Rodrigo argued.
"You should have thought of that before you mouthed off!" I pointed out.
"So what do you think we should do to him as punishment?" I asked Sakai.
"There's a pool out back that hasn't been used in quite a while. It's just begging to be occupied!" He answered, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Rodrigo paled, "You wouldn't... Oh man.. I don't even have a spare set of clothes here. I would have to wear Sakai's clothes!!! This is just cruel!" He pleaded.
"Perfect!" I exclaimed." Cruel is just what we were going for!"
Rodrigo struggled to break free (in vain) as I grabbed his hands and Sakai held his legs. Together we lifted him out and headed to the pool.
"Don't you want to think twice about this? What if I catch a cold? Or what if- "
We dumped him into the pool even as he tried to speak his way out of his mess! Serves him right!
Rodrigo surfaced , a few minutes later, sputtering and spitting water that had entered his nose. Sakai and I were doubled over in laughter at the sight of the sputtering Rodrigo.
After a few minutes of letting him soak, I extended my hand to help Rodrigo get out and realised my mistake a second too late when I found myself dragged down towards the pool. I flailed around trying to hold on to something solid for balance which, unfortunately happened to be Sakai, who lost his footing when I grabbed his shirt for support and tumbled into the pool along with me!
We surveyed each other in all our wet and soaking glory for a few minutes before bursting into laughter!
The three of us trudged across the corridor and headed to Sakai's apartment so we could dry off and change, dripping water all the way.
We showered and changed quickly, since it was getting late and the party at the dorm was supposed to start in about an hour. The only problem was... Neither Rodrigo nor I had a change of clothes with us. So we had to settle for Sakai's flashy taste in clothes! Man! This was just too much! From the vast expanse of Sakai's closet, Rodrigo picked a light blue t shirt and black jeans. Sakai had grown enough in the last three years that his jeans almost fit us. I didn't want to risk looking like a diva by wearing flashy colours and an orange hairdo, so I went with the classic black t shirt and matched it with white jeans.
Sakai chose a red t shirt and light grey jeans for himself.
We dressed quickly and headed out to the dorm. We decided, unanimously, to walk to the dorm, since it was only a short distance.
"It's been so long... I can't wait to see everyone!" I exclaimed eagerly.
"Are you sure it's everyone you are excited to see..? And not just a single person?" Rodrigo raised one brow mischievously.
"Let's not forget what happened to you when you made a similar comment a few hours ago..." Sakai reminded him.
Rodrigo fell silent after the reminder, obviously not wanting to get caught, while outnumbered, again.
"Kanou -", Sakai asked quietly, "Will she be there?"
"I don't know. I asked Ms.Fuku to round up the old gang if possible. I didn't give her any specific instructions." I replied.
"Perhaps you should prepare yourself for the possibility..." Sakai trailed off
I knew what he had left unsaid. There were a lot of possible scenarios waiting for me. Most of them didn't look good.
Whatever excitement I had felt earlier drained out of me, as the feeling of despair took its place in my heart.
"Don't assume the worst. We will never know until we get there." Rodrigo tried to cheer me up.I jerked to a stop and turned around, "You should just say I caught a cold and am unfit for company!" and tried to escape.
But both of them grabbed me before I could go a few steps.
" Don't be a coward!" Rodrigo ordered.
"Easy for you to say! " I glared.
"Calm down! She may not even be here. Last I heard, she has a steady job and volunteers as a soccer coach. She might be too busy." Sakai reasoned.
My ears perked up at that. "She volunteers as a soccer coach? Where?" I fished.
"If you want your questions answered, ask her yourself!" Sakai returned.
"Okay. You can do this, Kanou! What's the worst she can do?" I muttered to myself, trying to gather confidence.
"Ignore you and pretend you don't exist?" Rodrigo pointed out.
"Rodrigo! Not helping!" Sakai glared. He added, "Besides, Miki is not the type of person to handle anger quietly. She would probably bring down the house, yelling at him."
"Very funny!" I glared, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Let's just go get this over with! Before you guys change my mind!"
I walked ahead, keeping my mind on less scary things and hoping for the best.
When we reached the entrance, I took a deep breath and opened the door.
Whatever I was expecting, (I'm not even sure what I was expecting...) it certainly wasn't a deafening roar of
"WELCOME BACK! KYOUSUKE!"
My anxiety forgotten, I couldn't help but feel elated at the warmth and affection I could sense, directed solely at me.
I grinned at them all, "Thank you so much guys!"
And then everybody started talking to me at once and I quickly became the center of attention.
As preoccupied as I was with all the questions I had to answer, I still managed to look around in search of her.
When I finished my discreet survey of the crowd, I felt a mixture of relief and despair. Relief that I had a little more time to prepare myself and despair that I still haven't been able to see her!
At that moment, the door opened and the one voice that I would never be able to forget, called out, "Sorry I'm late! I got held up at practice!"