Hello :)
ChuLian: Tenma's so so traumatized and he doesn't even know it. Whoops. I've got plans for the future, though they're a bit long-term- Takuto won't shop up for quite a while again. Yes, Tenma's plan is foolproof, and as you can see in this chapter it absolutely definitely doesn't go horribly wrong in the worst way! Hahahahaha. Yes, Aoi is a blessing and we need more of her. Thanks for your support!
Maiten01: Thanks for reading!
Sonia Kumar: Hello Soja beans, been a while since I saw you in my comment section here. Welcome back! I'm glad you're still enjoying the story even after so long, haha. I'll take it as a compliment. So many questions, and I'll give my usual answer: you'll just have to wait and see~ I'm glad you liked the Aoi-Tenma moment! Yesss Kidou's really gonna step up from now on, I'm super excited for it. Thanks for reading and see you next chapter!
Iona-Violet Flower: No worries, better late than never, right? Enjoy the chapter!
Ryuamy: I'm good, I'm good (I say while I had less than four hours of sleep and am drowning in two major projects and two exams). I'm glad last chapter cheered you up, being sick sucks! No worries about the questions, it's fun to see what people come up with, and sometimes even inspires me! I'm still figuring out how to handle the future Raimon, whether we'll get a chapter from their perspective or whether the readers will just know the same thing as Tenma does. Who knows, it really could go both ways, depends on what fits in the story! As for whether the events in AR are pointless… well, I wouldn't say so, but I'm the author and I know my own plans, muhahaha. Senguujis's gonna play a larger role soon, which I think is gonna be pretty interesting. The end of Fifth Sector was kinda disappointing in my opinion, Senguuji gave in way too easily and with how I'm hyping up the danger of Fifth Sector here, I felt like I really couldn't end it so simply without being a major letdown. Sorry to disappoint, Shuu has been moved to next chapter because this ended up being 10K and I just wanted to get it out already. Hope you're not too dispapointed! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter too!
NicoLizca: Oh no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out! So many questions haha, and as usual I'll say: wait and see! I've got plans for sure, though it's going to take a while for them to play a role in the story. All the business with the future won't be relevant for quite a while yet, first there'll be the end of the Holy Road, and let me tell you that in itself is going to be a roller coaster, lol. Ahaha, you tell me if you think Endou's got grey hair after this! I hope you enjoy the chapter!
kariyafuzuuke: Yes, I am evil. Fear me. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh if you thought last chapter was bad, I wonder what you'll think of this one. It's all kinds of different flavors of angst. I legit don't know how that happened. "Things are getting better" YOU WISH AHAHAHAHA. About the translation, after the first Spanish one got abandoned I decided against allowing anymore translations, my apologies for that. But I appreciate the offer!
Kronos Knight: I found that out after he already showed up in this story and decided to stick with it, lol. It's got some more messed up details like that - Kurama is not a third-year, for example. Thing is, when I started this story nine years ago all this info wasn't available on the wiki yet so I had to make do with what I knew. Thanks for pointing it out to me though, I'll make sure to correct it in future stories!
Farah Ihab: Damn, six years is a long time! As for previous comments, no worries about it, I've seen a lot of things on this site. As long as you weren't outright insulting or needlessly criticizing me, I don't really mind anything, haha. But thanks for the apology anyway! And thank you so much for your kind words, they mean a lot to me. I'm really glad to know my story has made your life a little brighter. Writing is just amazing. I love words, I love all the different things you can portray with different words, it's just wonderful. I love it, pure and simple, and I'm honored that my writing has helped yours however little it may have been. So, let me thank you for your support, it means the world to me.
DebbieDoherty: I just found out I'll have been a fanfiction writer for exactly ten years this May. Unreal, isn't it? How's your university going? I hope you're enjoying yourself! About feeling old… damn, don't mention it. I'm turning 24 this Monday ;-;
TiendaDeNaranjas: I've missed it just as much, believe me. And yeah, FFN is being a pain - I had to add in the italics by hand after uploading the chapter document because it wouldn't take it save it. If you've got an ao3 account, you could maybe subscribe there? The story is caught up on that site now so it's updated simultaneously with FFN! Oh, no worries, SSC will show up eventually, muhahaha. And yes, we love Takuto and Tenma! I really tried to portray how much they've grown and how their relationship has become stronger three years from now. Yes, on this account we support the Tenma-Aoi friendship. They're such cute friends like seriously. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
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Gotta be honest, this chapter mostly wrote itself. I had no control over it. I also think this is one of the best chapters in the entire story so far. It's certainly one of my favorites, so I hope you guys enjoy it too!
This is both an early birthday present to you guys from me (my birthday on Monday, whoo!) and an anniversary gift too, because I found out last week that on the 17th of May I'll have been a fanfiction writer for ten years. Damn.
Accidental Reverse Arc 4
''I believe I can take a guess.''
Tenma's heart hammers in his chest.
No. He wouldn't.
A sudden pressure on his injured hand is what snaps him out of it, the discomfort oddly grounding as Aoi's fingers clutch tightly at his. He dares to look up, to both sets off eyes - one dark, and the other a steely grey that makes his skin crawl. It's Ishido, however, who greets him pleasantly. ''Hello again, child.''
Tenma swallows against his suddenly dry throat.
He'd thought - since Gouenji knows how dangerous Senguuji is, since he must suspect that Senguuji is behind his last visit to Fifth Sector, that the man would try to keep Tenma out of the spotlight here. He'd thought Gouenji wouldn't put more of Senguuji's attention on him.
He'd miscalculated.
Tenma tries not to let that harsh realization get to him, nor succumb to the thrum of anxiety that comes with Senguuji's cold, cold stare on him. Instead he takes a slow breath, pretends it's not as shaky as it is, and inclines his head.
''Holy Emperor.''
Ishido smiles.
Aoi's grip is near painful.
The tension could be cut with a knife.
''Well?'' the Holy Emperor asks after a beat of silence.
''Well, what?'' Tenma shoots back instinctively. And then has to hold back a wince when several of his teammates shoot him incredulous looks at his audacity.
It's harder than ever not to avert his gaze, to keep meeting Ishido's gaze without wavering, without shying away, and he thinks something slips through anyway. He hadn't meant to say that.
The words had just slipped out. Without conscious thought, because this is Gouenji, his coach, the one adult he's come to depend on daily - just like he did Endou. Still does.
Gouenji, who has always encouraged him to speak up and disagree if he thinks it's necessary, has always challenged him to share his opinion, to stand by his beliefs, to-
-and now here, now, with Gouenji once more acting as Holy Emperor, as an enemy, well.
It just slipped out, and Tenma's left to deal with the fallout now.
Ishido, at the very least, only seems mildly amused. ''You know what I meant, child.''
A beat of silence. Another one, as Tenma scrambles for something to say.
Then the brunet says, carefully, cautiously, ''Do I?'' and though it sounds like a question, both know it's not, because Tenma is stalling. Because he's wrong-footed. Because he's slipped up and lost his composure and now he's struggling to get it back. Because Sen- because he is right there, just watching him.
It's as much an admission of guilt as anything else he could say right now.
If it ticks him off, the Holy Emperor doesn't let it show. Instead he laces his fingers together on the desk in front of him, and the movement draws Tenma's attention to it.
For the first time, he notices that the man's got rings on his fingers. Gaudy baubles, blue and orange and green, to match the ones in his ears and around his neck. Now that he's seen them, Tenma wonders how he could've possibly missed them before.
He's startled by the man talking, again.
''Since you insist on being difficult,'' Ishido says, and his smile is entirely gone now, ''let me spell it out for you.''
Tenma tries not to shrink away beneath his cold, cold eyes.
''In the two months since the start of the school year,'' he begins, sounding as indifferent as he would be if they were conversing about something as mundane as the weather, ''your team has shown to have not one, but two previously unseen techniques. Techniques that Fifth Sector had no prior knowledge of, despite the near decade of research we possess.''
His fingers tap on the table desk, his rings glinting in the light.
''And,'' he hasn't looked away from Tenma even once, and Tenma's caught in his gaze, like a deer in the headlights, ''thus far, you were the first to use both of these techniques.'' Ishido pauses, and it must be deliberate, just another intimidation tactic. Tenma knows it.
Still doesn't stop it from working.
He scrambles for something to say, anything to- to oppose the accusations, to disprove it, but every thought that comes to mind slips away like smoke through his fingers. With a growing sense of dread, Tenma realizes he's got nothing to say.
When no response comes, Ishido pushes on with no remorse. ''Let's not pretend you haven't been challenging Fifth Sector since your very first day as a Raimon student. You have been causing far too much trouble for us for it to be overlooked that easily.''
Tenma doesn't flinch, but it's a near thing.
His nails dig into his palm.
''I don't think that was just me,'' he refutes, only after the silence lasted a moment too long. This, this he can do. Deflect. ''Fifth Sector is- you're being called out pretty damningly by the media. That seems like a bigger problem for you right now.''
If he hadn't been so completely focused on the man, Tenma would've missed the way a muscle in Senguuji's face spasms.
Ishido doesn't notice, not with Sen- him standing behind him and out of his line of vision. Instead the Emperor makes a sweeping gesture with his hand, as if he can physically brush off Tenma's words. ''That little tabloid is irrelevant,'' he says. ''Rumors and back alley talk doesn't subdue us. You, however.'' He narrows his eyes. ''You've caused more upheaval in a handful of weeks than I've seen in a very long time.''
For the first time since directly addressing Tenma, Ishido's eyes leave him - just for a second, flicking up to something behind the boy. Someone. Then his gaze flits back to his original target.
Tenma swallows.
Then he takes a steadying breath, and does something stupid.
''I told you I would,'' he says. ''Not my fault if you didn't believe it.''
Ishido's face somehow goes even more blank and Sen- he looks a bit like he bit into a lemon. Any other time, Tenma would've found that funny.
But now, he's too distracted with trying not to lose it in a particularly spectacular fashion, and if he starts laughing he's pretty sure it'll come out far too unhinged. Or he'll start sobbing. There's a considerable chance of that happening, too.
The tension is so heavy Tenma feels like he could choke on it.
After a handful of painfully silent seconds in which the whole room seems to hold its breath, slowly Ishido inclines his head in acknowledgement. His eyes don't stray from Tenma even once.
''That you did,'' the Holy Emperor mumbles lowly, as if he's speaking only to himself. ''That you did indeed.''
His eyes are dark. There's something in them, a look that's calculating, chilling. Predatory.
With a start, Tenma realizes he's scared.
It leaves him reeling. His first instinct is to deny it, to laugh at himself because how could he ever be scared of Gouenji? But he is. He really, really is.
He wants to- has to- but he can't, he can't lose it, not here in front of them, in front of him, because he is right there just watching him.
His skin crawls and Tenma wants to claw it out, wants to dig in his nails and rip open the cuts on his arms, as if that could set free the ants that have buried themselves beneath. Take a piece of sandpaper and scrape away the layers of his skin until there's nothing left of him to look at.
He swallows heavily, doesn't think it helps any. Has to believe it does.
Gouenji- Ishido is waiting for him to speak.
Tenma's voice catches on the first attempt, but when he tries again he manages to say, ''I don't.'' It's rough and raw and just this side of wrong and if he could he'd worry about what his friends might think, if they pick up on it, but it's like he's looking through a window, like he's sinking towards the bottom a lake and the world on the other side is distorted through the water surface. This isn't him. It can't be.
This isn't him.
This isn't his hand, clutching at Aoi's with the desperation of a drowning man, this isn't his blood rushing through his ears, dampening out the sounds of the world above the water, a world he doesn't belong to, hasn't in three years because this isn't him, this isn't his body, this isn't his life, THIS- IS- NOT- HIM-
''So, with that confession, are you going to try denying having anything to do with it?''
Ishido's voice cuts through him like a knife, like a thunderclap, and Tenma takes in a sharp breath with startling clarity.
He-
He can't do this. He can't afford not to do this.
''I don't,'' he says, cuts himself off, and tries not to listen to himself because it doesn't sound like him, and he can fall apart later, if only he gets through this.
Ishido raises an eyebrow.
''You are going to have to say more than that,'' he points out slowly, like he's talking to a particularly slow child.
Tenma bites on his lip harsh enough that it hurts, already sensitive as it was from how often he's been chewing on it recently, but at least it centers him somewhat. Somewhere distantly, he thinks that his growing reliance on pain as a grounding technique should worry him.
He should- say something. Come up with something smart, something witty, something to confuse and twist these men and leave them grasping at straws while he pretends he's not laughing on the inside, he should but he can't. Not when he's the one running in circles, spiraling, not when his hands haven't stopped shaking even once since stepping into this room.
He should be brave.
But he can't.
''What do you want,'' he rasps, and he hadn't known how honest it would be until he said it because he doesn't know. What does Ishido want from him here? What does he get by throwing him to the wolves like this? He can't, he can't respond accordingly, can't plan ahead or deal with it if he doesn't know what his opponent is after.
Ishido is watching him like a hawk, and so is Sen- so is he, and this time it doesn't make Tenma's skin crawl if only because he's far beyond that point.
''I believe I have been quite clear on what I want,'' Ishido declares sharply, and a minute ago it would've cut right through Tenma. ''Answers. Your meddling has disturbed the current soccer stage as it has been for the past years, in a matter of weeks. I want answers.''
Tenma can barely focus on the words, barely follow them.
He's at the bottom of a lake, looking at a world so distorted through the water surface he thinks he doesn't see it at all.
Somewhere above that surface, are his friends. Are they nervous? Scared, like Tenma is, was- is? And somewhere above that surface is his coach, both of them, all three of them because Endou once joked that it'd come full circle, that of course he and Kidou and Gouenji would coach the same team together because they always worked best together, and how else could it play out?
And beyond that is-
Steel grey.
Cold, and sharp as a knife.
Tenma would've flinched back if he still knew how but this isn't his body and it's frozen in place, except for the hammering of its heart.
So he's left looking, looking back into that stare that hasn't left him at all, grey boring into grey. He wonders whose is darker.
For the second time in a handful of minutes, it's Gouenji who breaks through to him when nothing else does - and maybe that's irony right there, that his coach is the one to reach him when he's spiraling out of control, regardless of how or when or where, regardless of whether the man is throwing him to the wolves or saving him from falling planks.
''Have you nothing to say, child?'' Ishido demands, sharp, like Gouenji never is. It has Tenma tearing his gaze away from him and back to the Holy Emperor. ''I must say, it disappoints me. You made for such an interesting conversation partner, last time we spoke.''
The worst is, he's right. Tenma's got nothing to say. If he opens his mouth, only water will rush in and its cold claws will rob him of the last breath he's got left. He feels very far away, somehow.
Ishido sighs like he's disappointed, like he's dealing with a misbehaving child, and shakes his head as the seconds pass by. ''Very well,'' he says, soft and honeyed, and then, ''Perhaps someone else is more willing to speak,'' and no.
Tenma only realizes he said that out loud when Ishido raises his eyebrows at him.
''No?''
''You're not talking to them.''
His palms are clammy. Tenma doesn't even notice as he stares down the Holy Emperor.
The man has the gall to look amused. Tilts his head like Tenma is a toy that's made him curious, a bug caught on his palm. ''And whyever not?'' he asks and if he wants it explained, fine. Fine.
''I won't let you.''
The Holy Emperor laughs, taunting, and Tenma grits his teeth. He glares at the man, eyes flashing.
The laughter cuts off sharply, and Ishido goes rigid.
For a split second, dark eyes are widened with something akin to unease, before they edge into a narrow-eyed frown.
''No one,'' Tenma says, just to drive the point home, ''is laying a hand on my team.''
He's sure Sen- he will have understood the message too.
Ishido is watching him like he would a cornered animal. One that could lash out any moment, and Tenma can't fault him for it. It kind of feels like he might. ''Is that so,'' the man hums, and it's not a question. Tenma answers it anyway.
''Yes,'' he emphasizes and all of a sudden realizes that the Holy Emperor doesn't look amused anymore. In fact, Tenma can't tell what he's thinking. He can't find it in himself to care.
There's a beat of silence, then another one. Not even once does Ishido look away from him, and where before Tenma could barely hold his gaze, now it's the easiest thing in the world. As long as Ishido is watching him, he can't focus on Raimon.
''And just how, pray tell,'' the man says slowly, as if thinking over each individual word before speaking them, ''do you think you can stop me?''
It's a threat.
It's a challenge.
And Tenma isn't scared of challenges.
He stares at the Holy Emperor, stares at the man who holds the soccer world in his palm, near incredulously. And then he huffs a humorless laugh, because, ''You really think I can't?''
Before he makes the conscious decision to do so, Tenma slides his hand out of Aoi's. She's so caught up in the moment that her attempt to hold tight comes a second too late, and he steps forward, slips between his teammates to stand at the front of them.
They don't realize he's doing so until he's already shielding them.
Ishido's gaze bores into him, features twisted into a scowl, and there's something there. Something intent. Something that Tenma should pay attention to, he thinks.
He doesn't even try.
''We're taking down Fifth Sector,'' Tenma says shortly, not a threat, just a fact. ''You want to know why?'' It's a question, but not one he really wants an answer to. Instead he presses on, ruthlessly. ''Because I chose to.''
A muscle in Ishido's jaw spasms, the only sign of his growing agitation.
''Me.'' Tenma inclines his head to the side, to the team, and says, ''Not them. Not the Resistance. Not Soar. Me.''
For the first time since stepping into this room, a smile curls onto his lips.
It's not a nice one.
''Do us all a favor and put the blame where it belongs. If you want to take another shot at me, go right ahead, I won't stop you. I'll even come quietly if you leave them out of it. But if you try and lay a hand on them?''
Tenma's eyes shift to the side and he looks straight at Senguuji as he says, as he promises,
''I'll rain down hell on you.''
This kid is insane.
That's the one thought running through Endou's head as he stares at the scene unfolding before him.
Tenma has positioned himself in front of the team like he can shield them somehow, take any blows for himself, and the taut set to his shoulders suggest he's unwilling to move anytime soon regardless of what anyone throws at him. He's more than stubborn enough for it.
For a couple of seconds after that last declaration - Endou hasn't ever heard the kid talk that way before, and that scares him - there's nothing but silence. Gouenji seems to have lost any grip on how to respond, and, honestly? Endou knows the feeling.
Because what the hell are any of them supposed to say to that?
None of his kids know that in reality the boogeyman of the soccer world is Endou's wayward best friend. He hadn't told them for a reason. As if dragging them into the line of fire wasn't bad enough, he wasn't about to add to it by burdening them with his own ignorance.
Not for the first time, he's tempted to give the Resistance a piece of his mind.
(They hadn't even bothered to talk to him before dragging Raimon into their mess.)
What it means, though, what it comes down to, is that Tenma means what he's saying.
And the implications of that? Utterly terrify Endou.
The stunned silence that has blanketed the room ticks by for several more neverending seconds, awful and heavy, until finally Gouenji regains his composure enough to resume his act. He straightens in his seat even more, if that's even possible, and folds his hands together on the desk in front of him. Not once do his dark eyes stray from Tenma's figure.
''I would advise you,'' he says, slowly, and Endou knows that tone very well, ''to think very carefully before you speak again.''
The hidden warning - because it is one, the only way Gouenji can try and help them - goes unheeded by the young brunet, like every other warning in this conversation so far. And Endou has picked up on many of them.
Tenma doesn't respond, or at least not in any way that the people behind him can see. There must be some sort of reaction in his expression though, because Gouenji's eyes narrow, and to anyone who doesn't know him as well as Endou does it would come off as anger.
He knows damn well it's not anger.
It manages to get a verbal reaction out of Tenma at least. The boy makes a sound that could pass for a laugh, short and bitter, and says, ''You wanted me to talk, didn't you? Well, I'm talking.''
Gouenji's lips thin.
And Endou decides he cannot keep watching this.
He's moving before he realizes it, stepping around the teens he was standing behind and to the front where the brunet has positioned himself like a shield in front of his team. Tenma only notices him when he's already gripped his shoulder, pulling him back a step.
The brunet goes, but only because he's caught off guard, and a surprised noise leaves him as he stumbles to regain his balance. Endou only half catches sight of his wide-eyed glance from the corner of his eye, too focused on keeping his gaze trained on the men in front of him, not even when Tenma brings out a confused, ''Coach-?''
He tightens his grip on the kid's shoulder for a moment in subtle warning. ''I think it's best I do the talking,'' he says, going for a light tone and pretty sure he's missing it by a mile.
Only because of all the years he's known him does Endou see Gouenji's quiet relief. He can't even really pinpoint what gives it away - the other man hasn't moved an inch, hasn't even shifted in his seat, but it's there nonetheless. Their eyes meet, and it's as if he can hear what Gouenji's thinking.
I'm with you, captain.
And behind him, nearly fading into the background for how unassuming he's managed to make himself look, Toramaru echoes the same sentiment wholeheartedly.
But it's not Gouenji or Toramaru that worry Endou.
It's that other man - the one dressed impeccably in his white suit, who despite not having said a single word this entire time, sets off some kind of warning bells in the back of Endou's mind. The one who, during this entire confrontation, has been utterly fixated on Tenma.
Endou doesn't like that look in the man's eyes. Something about it makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
Without a moment of doubt, Endou nudges Tenma backwards another step and shifts so that he's blocking the man's view of him. When that razor sharp gaze settles on him instead, he stares back without flinching.
If the bastard wants to get to the kid, it'll have to be over Endou's dead body.
''None of my players have anything to do with those Keshin techniques,'' he states with false composure. He knows damn well that's a lie. It sure as hell wasn't Endou or his friends who taught them, after all.
Endou struggles between giving Gouenji his attention - as he really should - and keeping an eye on the one unknown in the room. In the end, the choice is taken from him when the Holy Emperor carries on like all this is nothing more than a polite conversation over some tea. ''I find that hard to believe.''
''It's the truth.'' Endou doesn't hesitate. ''They've been experimenting a little. We gave them pointers.''
Let them think it's the Resistance, hell, let them think it's Endou himself they should go after - anything's better than having the sole target be the kid behind him. Raimon should never have been drawn into this mess to the degree that they have been.
Endou is through with letting it happen.
''You?'' Gouenji echoes, something like a sneer crossing his face that Endou doesn't believe for a second. The Holy Emperor lets out a disbelieving chuckle.
''I've been around,'' Endou says with a shrug, mind racing as he tries to think of a way out of this situation. ''We've got a lot of friends in all kinds of places. You pick stuff up along the way.'' He smiles, a thin veneer of politeness that probably doesn't fool them for a second. ''Fifth Sector's not the only one with resources.'' Despite their attempts at getting rid of the competition, he doesn't say.
An unexpected, but definitely not unwelcome, support comes from behind him. ''It's true, I assure you.'' It's Kidou.
Endou tries not to let the relief show as it crashes over him. Kidou has always been better at this than he is, and the man's earlier decision to join them here had lifted a weight off his shoulders. A tight knot in his chest unwinds now as he hears footsteps through the quiet room, and a moment later Kidou steps up beside Endou to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.
For now, he lets him take the lead, trusting that the Teikoku Commander wouldn't have stepped in if he didn't have a plan.
Kidou never disappoints.
''While we are certainly open to further discuss this with you,'' he begins pleasantly, ''I think we can all agree now is not the right time for it, wouldn't you say?''
When Gouenji narrows his eyes this time, Endou can tell it's less of an act and more of a genuine reaction, and he's harshly reminded that this must be the first time that he and Kidou have been face to face since Gouenji's elaborate disappearing act - since Endou's wedding, most likely.
Endou has never asked Kidou about his thoughts on any of this. There hadn't been any time in all the madness, and- okay, fine. A large part was because Endou had been angry with him.
Because Kidou, like apparently everyone else in his goddamn life, decided that the best option was to leave him completely unaware of all the damn crap going on. Which, to a certain degree, Endou has to admit he can understand because he hadn't even been in Japan for most of it, but even after he and Natsumi permanently relocated to Inazuma Town, nobody could be bothered to give him so much as hint at the whole damn mess.
No, he had to find that out the hard way, and then they still didn't even mention the existence of the Resistance.
And then, of course, it turned out both his best friends were deeply involved in this. On opposite sides, obviously, because it wasn't like it wasn't enough of a mess already.
So whatever this apparent pissing contest is between Gouenji and Kidou, he's got no clue, and to be really honest he doesn't give a fuck either. Not when it's Endou's kids who are pulled into the mess as collateral damage.
Currently, though, Kidou has utilized the opening he's created to push his advantage further, and Endou roughly pushes his anger away - there's no time for it now, not when getting his kids out of this safely is his only priority. ''It's been quite a long day,'' which is complete nonsense because it's only afternoon, but it's not like Endou will call him out on it, ''and Raimon is exhausted after their match and your generous training camp. It would be best to get them home and reconvene later to talk about this like adults. Or am I missing something?''
The tension between the three of them - Endou, Gouenji and Kidou, like it's always been - increases, as they wait for the reaction; Is Gouenji going to keep pressing?
Better question, will he have to?
Because no matter what Endou thinks of this whole mess, he knows one thing for sure. Gouenji would never put any of the kids in more danger than he absolutely has to to protect them. If he pushes this, it's because he has no other choice.
That they're even in this situation right here and now tells Endou more than enough about Gouenji's current position within Fifth Sector. He might not know any specifics, but he's convinced that it's precarious at best. Whatever's driven the acting Holy Emperor to orchestrate this confrontation - it's not good.
A growing sense of unease creeps up on him.
If they're still not let go, Endou isn't sure if he knows how to get them out of this.
Not that that matters at all in delaying the inevitable. Gouenji's jaw clenches minuscutely, something Endou wouldn't have seen had he not been looking for it.
He's made his decision.
''Regardless, my original point stands.''
Endou's hopes plummet. He hadn't wanted to admit it, not even to himself, but he'd already known it wouldn't be that easy.
The Holy Emperor continues, remorseless. ''Your team has caused quite the disturbance within the Holy Road tournament, and it cannot stand. And,'' the sudden bite in his voice cuts through the room like a knife as his eyes shift away from the two men guarding the team, settling on the half-hidden figure of the teen behind them, ''however much you may claim that you're the ones responsible, let's not forget that Matsukaze Tenma outright admitted to deliberately causing trouble for Fifth Sector only a minute ago.''
The meaning behind the words is chilling, and Endou's blood runs cold.
Not for the first time, he wonders what kind of interaction Tenma and Gouenji have had before, with no one to witness it. When asked, the brunet hadn't answered with anything substantial, shrugging it off instead.
Endou hadn't wanted to press, then. Hadn't wanted to cause the kid undue stress.
Now he thinks that maybe, he should've.
If it had been just him here in the room as the only defense for the group of teenagers behind him, Endou would've faltered here and now. Wouldn't have known how to get them out of this. Would've let his emotions get the best of him.
It's not just him.
Kidou seems utterly unbothered by the heavy accusations being thrown around. He just tilts his head, makes that soft, haughty hmph sound that he does when he's not at all impressed by whatever's in front of him, and says, ''And you would base all this speculation on the words of a child?''
The nasty curl of his lips tells anyone with functioning eyes exactly what he thinks of that.
He doesn't stop there. ''I wouldn't have expected that of you, Ishido-san. You seem to be intent on painting some sort of picture of Raimon as downright criminals, simply because they've shown techniques you're unfamiliar with. Must I remind you that ten years ago, no one could've imagined the existence of Keshin?''
He cuts an imposing figure like that, arms crossed sternly in front of him, and for all that his eyes are hidden behind his goggles they are no doubt sharp and centered on the man on the other side of the desk.
Gouenji, to his credit, isn't bothered by it, or if he is he at least doesn't let it show. Instead he lets his elbow rest on the desk, chin on his wrist, and tilts his head a little. ''That may be so,'' he allows, ''but despite numerous inquiries on our part, none of Raimon have been able to provide a satisfactory explanation for any of it. That in itself is suspicious, Kidou-san,'' he returns calmly, lips twisting into the ghost of a smirk.
Kidou scoffs. ''Inquiries?'' he repeats, with growing incredulity as his crossed arms unwind and fall to his sides. ''You've made no such inquiries, Ishido-san. All you've done is single out one of our players for no apparent reason. And if that isn't bad enough,'' his voice drops an octave, into something approaching fury, ''the last time he was released from your 'care' he was bloodied and beaten and regardless of all your damn excuses, he will carry those scars for the rest of his life!''
It's not that Kidou doesn't care, Endou thinks numbly. It's just that Kidou has always been able to compartmentalize, to rationalize a situation somehow as to get whatever edge he needs at that moment. He's a creature of control. It's what makes his mind so sharp, what makes his strategies so ruthless and effective.
But once they've made it out of this - once they're safe - it will all crash down on him at once.
Endou will have to cover for him then. Do what he does best, what his very name tells him - protect. Pull him aside, away from prying eyes, and provide a listening ear as his friend works through all the things he himself is working through right this very second.
They haven't been talking much, lately.
Maybe, Endou admits, it's time to change that.
Because-
He hadn't been there.
Tenma had been bloodied and beaten and Endou hadn't been there.
He still remembers the sound of Fudou's rough voice as he quietly told them all of what had been going on back home, of the hell Endou's kids had been going through while their coach was off on some distant island.
Still remembers the world screeching to an abrupt stop as Tsurugi's words registered. ''You were thrown against a mirror.''
Endou hadn't been there. He doesn't think he'll ever forgive himself for not being there.
But Kidou had been.
And now- now he's still here. He could've abandoned his post as Raimon's coach the second Endou stepped back into the picture, but he didn't. He stayed.
Kidou's breathing heavier than before, fists clenched; cracks in his usual composure. Yet, at the same time, he's standing as tall as Endou's ever seen him, still at his side as they both shield the team behind them together.
Gouenji, for his part, is still.
For all that he's supposed to play a part, he could never hide the well of guilt in his eyes from his best friends.
''If you think, for one second,'' though Kidou has recovered enough to continue, he's no longer as stone-faced as he was at the start, ''that we will allow Fifth Sector near any of Raimon's players again, you're wrong, Ishido-san. Whatever inquiries you have can be directed towards Endou and I. And if you think that you can keep us here any longer than we absolutely have to be, you. Are. Wrong.''
He says it with such finality, Endou cannot help but believe him.
And though Gouenji tries to hide it, something akin to hope has sparked to life in his eyes.
It doesn't show in his demeanor, though. Instead he keeps up his unimpressed mask, sprawled behind his desk like he's without a single care in the world. ''What can you do?'' he asks coolly, a tone just shy of mocking. ''Must I remind you that you are stuck here, Kidou-san? That I control all transport off of this island?'' he huffs a laugh, loosely waving a hand through the air as if to brush off the very notion of their escape. ''You cannot even get word back to any of your allies, and now you're attempting to threaten me?''
Kidou only inclines his head in what might be acknowledgement. ''Yes,'' he concurs easily. ''But who says I haven't got word out already?''
At that, the Holy Emperor is suddenly much more alert.
And so is the one unknown in the room, the man in the white suit. He's been so quiet that Endou had almost lost track of him, but now his head whips up sharply.
Kidou certainly has their attention now.
''Though usually a training camp, even an unplanned one in the middle of a school week, is not much cause for concern,'' he begins easily, ''I believed that it might be a bit different in this case.''
In a silent gesture to elaborate, Gouenji raises an eyebrow.
Kidou takes the invitation. ''Well, considering the circumstances.'' Though the movement is subtle, Kidou inclines his head a little to the left - towards the boy still half-hidden behind him and Endou. ''A training camp is nothing to worry about, but when one of the players on the team has so publicly been assaulted by those who are in charge of it?''
A single beat of silence, and then Gouenji is straightening in his seat. Behind him, the unknown man has taken half a step forward before he caught himself, a dark look in his eyes that sends the temperature in the room plummeting.
''What exactly did you do?'' the Holy Emperor demands. His hands have gripped the edge of his desk. There's little left of his earlier nonchalance.
''I put in place a failsafe,'' Kidou says, calm in the face of their sudden scrutiny. The smallest hint of a smirk is playing at his lips. ''I was told this training camp would last three days. If we are not back by the end of that time limit, a message will be sent to the two biggest news outlets in Japan and to the police. It details Fifth Sector's previous illegal detention of Matsukaze Tenma, a list of the injuries he sustained during, the circumstances of this training camp and all that we know of the going ons at God Eden.''
Kidou, you glorious bastard.
The thought comes unbidden but once it's there, Endou couldn't possibly disagree.
This is more than he ever could've imagined. When did Kidou even have time to put this all in place? He'd had to have some of that information prepared already, as a- a failsafe, like he'd said. And he'd had to have started drafting that message the minute he'd learnt of the training camp, the entire bus drive there, to have it all set up in time.
Contingency plans. Kidou always has his damn contingency plans, and Endou has never been so grateful for it.
On the other side of the room, Gouenji has gone very still.
Endou can see the cogs turning in his head as he considers this new situation, this new threat.
They're back at a stalemate, the three of them. The same question plagues them now; will the Holy Emperor have to keep pressing? Will this be enough for Gouenji to let them go?
When the man in question grimaces and lets his posture loosen, Endou knows they've won.
''...very well. You've made your point, Kidou-san. Well played.''
Despite the confirmation, Endou can't let himself relax yet. Not until they're out of this room, off of this godforsaken island. But, at the very least, he lets some of his tension fade. He trusts Gouenji not to go back on his word.
''You'll let us go, then?'' Kidou confirms.
Slowly, Gouenji inclines his head, leaning back in his chair. Even though Fifth Sector has seemingly lost this round, he keeps his face carefully blank. The same cannot be said for the man in white behind him; his expression is thunderous. ''Yes,'' Gouenji tells them. ''You've got an hour until a boat will be here to take you back to the mainland. I'll ensure there'll be a bus waiting.''
Right. That's all Endou needs to hear. Now that they've got Gouenji's word that they won't be held back, he refuses to stay here any longer.
''Great,'' he says. ''Then, if you'll excuse us, we've got to pack our stuff. Come on, guys!'' he raises his voice at the last part as he twists around to face his kids. Most of them look a little startled at the sudden switch in tone, though he can clearly see that all of them are still shaken. He wants them out of here. ''Let's get going!''
He grins at them even though he doesn't much feel like grinning. If there's one thing he's learnt, it's that playing the part of a coach consists for a large part out of seeming confident.
As the team begins to file out of the room, hesitating for a few moments until it becomes clear no one is going to stop them, Endou breathes a quiet sigh of relief. Then his gaze falls on Tenma.
The brunet is still frozen in place, but when he notices his coach's eyes on him, he stares back with wide eyes that make him look painfully young. His lip is trembling.
It sends a stab through Endou's heart and before he can stop himself, he's reached out to the kid, taking him by the shoulder. He tries for a smile, for something kind, because Tenma looks like anything firmer than a mild breeze could knock him over right now. ''C'mon,'' Endou mumbles to him, ''let's get out of here.''
Still with a hand on Tenma's shoulder, he guides the kid out of there, into the hallway where the rest of the team is waiting. He can hear Kidou following.
The click of the office door as it shuts behind them sounds like salvation.
Things move fast after that.
Endou and Kidou guide the unusually quiet teenagers back to the suite they'd been in before, where the others are still waiting. The moment the door opens, all of them are immediately on their feet and on high alert, and that doesn't lessen when they notice how shaken the kids look.
''Endou,'' Kazemaru says, and then falls silent.
The kids file in, and unlike last time, don't sprawl out over the couches. Instead they gravitate to one another like they're held together by a rubber band. Endou tries not to frown at it. He catches Haruna's worried look at them, and tries to muster a smile for her and the guys, though from the looks on their faces he gathers it's not much of a reassurance. ''They're letting us leave,'' he tells them.
That, at least, allows for some breathing room, though none of them seem any less alert.
''Good,'' Fubuki says shortly, shooting a troubled look at the kids, who don't even seem to notice. Endou can tell he wants to ask but refrains for now where the team can hear.
''Well, what are we waiting for?'' Fudou cuts in, leaning reclining against the wall opposite the door, hands in his pockets. ''Let's get out of this hellhole.'' He pushes off the wall and nods towards the door. ''Think we can find the way out of this maze?''
Endou cracks a smile at that, and gestures for him to lead the way.
They leave the place behind them as quickly as they can, guided through the tricky corridors by a Seed that was waiting for them already, apparently ordered to by the Holy Emperor. Unlike on the way there, there's no anticipation for a match to come, and the tension that grips them all is of a different kind.
In spite of that, they make it out of the stadium relatively quickly and without further obstacles. Endou keeps an eye on the kids as much as he can, but is quick to note he's not the only one - all of his friends are, some more notable than others. Haruna is outright fussing, whereas Kidou and Fudou have taken up position behind the team, keeping a watchful eye out.
It's a long journey back to the old lighthouse they'd been hiding out in the last few days, and Endou won't wait to check up on his kids that long. In fact, he's itching to pull them aside right now, but even more than that he wants to get them far, far away from the looming tower behind them.
So he fights off the urge for as long as he can, and they travel as far back as the bridge when he decides this is far enough. When they the edge of the treeline, the ravine coming into sight only a few stone tosses away, he calls them to a halt.
''Take a breather,'' he tells the kids kindly, and it's like the strings holding them up have been cut.
They settle on the grass, still far too quiet for a team usually so lively, tired and unsettled. Kariya and Hikaru are right next to each other, and Amagi pointedly joins the two first-years. Kirino hesitates for a second, glancing at them, then decides the third-year has it in hand and heads over to where Shindou has climbed onto a rock. The higher vantage point allows him to watch over the whole team, and he smiles weakly when Kirino scrambles up the rock to sit next to him and knock their shoulders together.
Like that, they perch in smaller groups but all in sight nonetheless. Even Sangoku forces Tsurugi to join him and Kurumada, shooting him pointed looks until the striker gives in.
Endou smiles a little at the sight of it. He'd seen the beginnings of this long before he left for God Eden, but the mere extent to which this team has grown is amazing to watch. He mourns a little that he missed so much development between them, but can't let it bother him too much when this is the result.
Something Endou knows all too well, knows familiarly and intimately, with the young woman and all of the young men and beside him. Sees reflected right back at him whenever their eyes meet.
Something fierce, something soft. Warm days of nothing but the buzzing of insects and the frizzy taste of soda pop, of napping in the grass with the sun warming his skin, of wandering through streets that he's known his whole life past colorful vendor stalls. Equally so, moments of cuts and bruises, of being beaten down and looked down upon, of the sting of tears in his eyes and despite it all a furious, unwavering will to stand back up.
And them, through it all. Always there, always together, always ready to drop everything and come running at the slightest call.
Something that runs so much deeper than the surface.
Something that will last for a very long time, he thinks.
He's so proud of them it hurts.
''They've come so far,'' he says softly.
Kidou next to him hums an agreement. ''They have.''
That's all they say. There's no need for more. All Endou does is turn to smile at his best friend, clapping him on the shoulder and letting his hand linger there for a moment. Kidou gazes back at him, a thousand things passing between them before the keeper pulls away.
Endou goes around their little impromptu camp after that, taking a couple of minutes to check up on all of his players. Though they'd definitely been upset by all of it, they're more resilient than he's given them credit for; slowly but surely they're coming back alive, soft mumbled conversations picking up throughout the little clearing. One by one they reassure their coach that they're fine, and that does more to settle him than he'd thought it would.
He wishes he had more time than a few minutes. Wishes he could pull each of them aside and let them talk and vent and unload as much as they need. He can see it in their eyes.
Shindou offers him a feeble smile when Endou stops next to him and Kirino, something like understanding passing between coach and captain. Endou's heart clenches. It's moments like this that reminds him exactly of how much this boy is carrying, quietly and without complaint.
''You did good in there,'' he tells him, and hopes Shindou picks up on everything he's not saying. When his next inhale is a little shaky, Endou knows he has. The kid's terrifyingly smart, that's one thing Endou had figured out early on. He can't wait to see where it will get him.
Shindou dips his head in a little nod. ''Thanks, coach.''
With one more encouraging grin, Endou steps away, stops in the middle of the clearing to survey the whole group once more. This time it's not just his kids- it's his friends too, just like when they stepped into the match only hours prior, checking on the teens, distracting them with jokes and stories and getting them to all relax slowly but surely. Kazemaru is with Aoyama and Ichino, drawing them into a discussion about hissatsu. Fudou has joined Amagi, Kariya and Hikaru. Kidou, to Endou's surprise, has joined Haruna and the girls, and though his eyes are hidden by his goggles he's very clearly turned towards Aoi, his own way of ensuring she's alright after being held captive.
The sight of it warms Endou.
Eventually though, inevitably his eyes are drawn to the last two kids in the clearing. Shinsuke's attention is clearly divided between the story Kabeyama is telling nearby and the brunet next to him.
Endou has never seen Tenma look like that. Physically he might be with them in the clearing, but he's somewhere very far away nonetheless.
''Go talk to him,'' someone mutters lowly, and Endou glances up to find Fubuki next to him. He smiles, a little soft, a little sad, and nods towards Endou's problem kid without taking his eyes off of his captain.
Endou takes the hint.
When he plops down on the grass, Shinsuke looks both startled and relieved. The coach smiles at him and inclines his head towards Kabeyama. ''Go join 'em,'' he encourages him softly, and after a moment of hesitation and a worried look at the brunet, Shinsuke does.
Endou watches as he goes, as Sangoku and Kurumada make space for him between them, as Kurumada pulls the small boy's headband down with a teasing grin and Kabeyama gives a hearty laugh.
Then he lets his eyes wander around the clearing once more to reassure himself all of his kids are in good hands, before he looks at Tenma.
He's facing the ravine, back to the rest of the team. He's pulled his knees up to his chest, arms folded around them. Small. Closed off.
Any stray thoughts Endou might've had about scolding him for his reckless stunt disappear immediately. He will, later. Definitely. But not when Tenma looks like this.
For a few minutes, neither of them says a word. Endou doesn't think Tenma will be the first to break the silence and he doesn't want to say anything thoughtlessly either, so he takes his time to decide.
In the end, it's simple.
''Tenma,'' he says gently, ''we made it.''
A quivering breath escapes the brunet. He doesn't take his eyes off the ravine.
Endou takes a chance, and rests his hand lightly on the boy's shoulder. He doesn't shake him off, but doesn't open up to it either.
It takes a few seconds before Endou acknowledges Tenma won't answer him yet. He hadn't really expected him to, but he wanted to give him the chance to talk.
''The team is alright,'' he continues, barely louder than a whisper. ''I'm alright, you're alright. We all made it out.''
A choked noise escapes the brunet, and it takes Endou a minute to recognize it as a laugh. Then Tenma's talking. ''Yeah,'' he agrees, a bite to the word, ''but for how long?''
Endou swallows. It's a question he's been asking himself.
He didn't want to hear Tenma ask it too.
But if there's anyone on the team who's got the right to ask it, it's the boy next to him. The boy who's made it out three times now, only to be drawn back again. Each time with higher stakes than the time before.
Endou wants to swear to him it won't happen again, but they'd be empty words and he knows it. It never should've happened in the first place, and yet it did.
Anyone who could've, should've protected him from it, had just stepped aside instead. Had been taken in by Tenma's brave face and the jokes he uses as a shield and how he got to his feet after every blow, and had taken it at face value.
After that, Tenma deserves more than false promises.
''There's two matches left,'' Endou says instead, and it's apparently unexpected enough that Tenma pauses. Just a second, but Endou takes the advantage before the boy can turn away again. ''The semi-finals. The finals. Then it's over.'' Whether it's their victory or Fifth Sector's, he can't say. He has complete faith that Raimon can win this, but still - no one knows the future.
At least it'll be over after that. If Raimon were to lose, and Endou for the life of him can't imagine that happening, he swears he'll move mountains to keep Tenma out of Fifth Sector's claws. He doesn't care what he has to do.
It takes Endou a little too long to realize Tenma is trembling.
He feels it, rather than sees it, his hand still on the kid's shoulder. Tenma is still stubbornly gazing at the ravine and Endou's only got a view of the side of his face. More tellingly than that is the harsh grip he has on his knees, the minute quiver in his fingertips.
''Tenma,'' he begins, but he's cut off by a whisper.
''And what comes after?''
Endou pauses, and finally Tenma glances at him, just from the corner of his eye.
''What comes after, coach?'' he asks him, a little louder, a little steadier. ''There's gonna be something else, isn't there?''
And Endou is at a loss for words.
He wants to say no, wants to say you get to be normal again, but this team has never been normal, has it? They were thrown into this mess from the starting whistle. And more than that, who's to say Tenma's wrong? There was always something else for Endou and his friends. Why wouldn't there be for them?
It's exhausting, sometimes.
''Maybe,'' Endou admits. He won't lie, not to Tenma. ''There always was for me.''
But there was more than that too. More than just the fear. The fighting. The danger. There was always a light at the end of the tunnel for him.
Endou doesn't know if he can give that to these kids, but by the gods he wants to. Wants to be the rock that coach Hibiki had been for him. He's not sure how to be.
But he'll be damned if he doesn't try.
He breathes in, tries to portray something calm or steady or confident, and squeezes Tennma's shoulder. ''But you're not gonna be alone through it,'' he says, and this is a promise he can make. ''I know you've got reason to doubt that, kid. You more than anyone here. But you won't be.''
Tenma is looking at him fully now, head turned to his coach, wide-eyed and young. Scared. A kid.
He's nothing more than a lost and lonely kid, so very far from home.
Endou twists towards him, shuffles his legs beneath himself so he can kneel in front of the brunet and hold both his shoulders. ''There's always gonna be someone with you, Tenma,'' he tells him firmly. He needs the kid to listen to this. ''There's always going to be someone who leaves a light on in the dark that you can follow. You just have to look for it, you hear me?''
Tenma's lip quivers, and he shakes his head wordlessly, but it's not a denial.
''I don't understand,'' he says helplessly, so utterly lost.
Endou asks softly, ''Don't understand what?''
The boy stares up at him like he's about to go under and Endou's the only thing that could keep him from drowning, something pleading in his eyes. ''Why you're doing this,'' he brings out.
Endou's heart shatters when he hears that.
''Because,'' he swallows, ''no one should be going through this alone, Tenma. Least of all you.''
The boy takes a shuddering breath.
Then, so very softly, he says, ''I want to go home, coach."
Endou breathes out slowly, tries not to let the quiet plea make him lose his footing. "We'll be home soon," he says soothingly. That, at least, is something he can promise.
Tenma looks away.
Slowly, Endou settles down besides him more comfortably, shifting until they're side by side and looking out over the ravine. He debates with himself for a second, and then gives into the urge to wrap the kid in a one-armed hug. He looks desperately like he needs it.
''Hey,'' he mumbles as he does so, ''and just remember. No matter how far from home you get, you won't ever be alone, okay?''
For a heartbreakingly long moment, Tenma hesitates.
Then the tension flows out of him and he leans into Endou's hug.
''...okay.''
This entire chapter is just different forms of angst, isn't it? It got away from me so bad. The whole thing with Tenma freaking out about how ''this isn't him'' wasn't supposed to happen. Endou's POV wasn't supposed to happen. Kidou stepping up wasn't supposed to happen. You know what was supposed to happen? That conversation with Shuu. But this already got to 10K so I'm leaving that for next chapter.
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Best friend: ''He takes a a steadying breath, and does something stupid.'' I like that line because it shows he thinks his dumb actions through and knows he's being dumb.
Me: ...
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Tenma: Having a major dissociative episode.
Gouenji: Aight Imma talk to your team.
Tenma: FIGHT ME BITCH.
Me, wiping away a tear: he's such an icon.
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Gouenji, trying to hint at Tenma: okay kid just don't say anything incriminating.
Tenma: YEAH I CHALLENGED FIFTH SECTOR, WHAT YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT?
Gouenji: oh my god please don't do this please just SHUT UP KID.
Tenma: You wanted me to talk, didn't you? Well, I'm talking.
Gouenji: NO I JUST WANTED YOU TO SHUT UP.
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Endou, this entire chapter: Torn between fighting someone and hugging his kids.
I swear I don't know when he started calling them ''his kids'' but DAMN does it fit.
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Can we appreciate how Kidou stepped up here? It's been a long time coming actually, the buildup is kinda subtle in previous chapters but c'mon, consider this:
First Tenma gets kidnapped, again, then he shows up all bloodied, then Kidou finds out that Tenma's had a chained Keshin all along and never told anyone, then he gets to see first-hand how close and protective and suspicious the team (the kids) have become, then being send on this training camp, then the kids being separated from the kids in enemy territory, then escaping but having to leave Aoi behind, then seeing Aoi in that cage, then the Holy Emperor threatening the kids directly and Tenma's self-sacrificial stunt in that conversation?
Geez, man's had some strong motivators for a change of heart.
Also, oooh I'm so gonna enjoy writing Gouenji's guilt complex about all this once the Holy Road's over and done with. Also, about Gouenji - this chapter doesn't explain much why he called Tenma out at the start, but that will be elaborated upon later, so don't think I forgot!
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Endou: No one knows the future.
Me: :)
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Tenma: I want to go home, coach.
Endou: We'll be off this island and home soon.
Ahahahaha that's not what he meant, Endou.
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[while writing this chapter]
smallish: Endou should punch someone.
Me: Don't think that's gonna happen but i'll see what i can do.
smallish: They should all get into a fist fight at the end!
Me: ...unlikely but i'll note it down?
smallish: Next chapter will feature kidou fighting ME instead :D
Me: I feel like you have a lot of unresolved aggression for some reason.
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Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, and until next time!
- Yara