IE || in the eyes of [you]

xi. Character[s]

"Excuse me, Kidou-san, there's a package for the team," announced one of the managers of Teikoku's Soccer Club.

"A package for the team?" Kidou furrowed his eyebrows. He informed everyone to pause their practice before he approached the manager. "Is this from Kageyama-san?"

"No, it is not." The manager pushed up his glasses. "I supposed I ought to clarify. The sender of this package, someone by the name of Endou [Name] from Raimon Jr High, wishes to give this package to someone within the team. Although, as to who it is, she did not specify. The only clues are within this note she wrote."

"That's a package?" Henmi Wataru pointed at the small box in the manager's hand.

"It is. Here you go, Kidou-san."

Kidou nodded, taking the package.

"Wait, you said that it's from someone named Endou [Name], right?" Sakuma Jirou piped up. "Isn't that the girl from Raimon's Soccer Club?"

(Behind him, Genda Koujirou perked up too.)

"He did mention it was from her." Kidou inspected the package.

"Are we sure you should be holding that, captain?" asked Banjou Kanjoumichi.

"If it were dangerous, it wouldn't have been brought in in the first place." Kidou found the note attached to the box, which was stuck under it. Flipping it upside down, he removed the note and read it aloud:

To the one who brought me back home to my worried mom, thank you and sorry you had to carry me back. This is my thank you gift to you. I hope you like it.

(P.S. Please reattach this note to the box after you read)

From, Endou [Name]

"Brought her back home?" everyone in the club repeated that in utter confusion.

"Has anyone ever met Endou [Name] prior to our practice match?" Kidou asked.

"Nope," Sakuma answered.

"Not me," Banjou and Henmi said.

"Beats me." Narukami Kenya shrugged.

Everyone else shook their heads. Everyone but ⸺

Genda sighed. "It was me."

"Eh?" They all looked to him.

"When did you meet her?" Kidou asked.

"It was a few days prior to the match, I think, and I wouldn't really say I met Endou [Name]. We just came across each other after I finished up tuition late evening. And kind of ... she just fell into my arms," Genda explained.

"Ho~" Henmi snickered. "Genda Koujirou gets himself another girl~"

Genda sighed. "It's nothing like that. She literally fell into my arms, unconscious. Fainted."

"Fainted?" Sakuma's eyes widened. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure either," Genda replied. "I mean, all I could figure out at the time was that she was covered in bruises. And when I brought her to a clinic, the doctor said she also bore tyre marks on her face."

"Tyre marks?" everyone exclaimed, disbelief.

Tyre marks? Underneath his goggles, a glint of intrigue shimmered in Kidou's red eyes. Then he said, "Genda, you may have given me an idea."

"An idea?" Genda tilted his head.

"A little plan, if you may. Genda, I'd like for you to get close to Endou [Name]."