Shattered and Renewed •~BLLK~•

Ache

"Alright then. Can you help us find two more players?" Isagi finally said.
"Clearly I'm more sociable than you. I have a few friends here, unlike you. I'll go fetch them."

Bachira hummed happily, and left the cafeteria to train, leaving Isagi still sitting there.

***

"How did this happen?!"
"Slow down! I can't run!"

Isagi tried to move his limp body out of Ayato's grip. He doesn't need their help. He can treat his own wounds. They don't have to help him after all that happened. He can...

But he succumbed to the darkness, as he couldn't hold the intense bleeding, and left his brothers.

"Patient Isagi Yoichi?" A nurse walked out of the emergency room, lowering her mask.
"We're his brothers," Rakano responded quickly.
"The patient suffered severe internal bleeding in his neck and abdomen, and a dislocated shoulder. He will need to go through an operation."

The brothers held their breath.

"The wounds were formed from an attack by another party. May I inquire what happened?"
"A- attack? By who?" Ayato stuttered.
"That is why I inquire answers. But I suppose you don't know either. Therefore, we shall continue to start the operation."

The Isagi's looked at eachother with worry and frustration. They don't have enough money for such an operation. But their brother's life is on stake.

"What should we do? Where can we get so much money?"
"We can't ask our grandfather for so much money," Rakano sighed.

The Isagi siblings lived with their grandparents due to the fact that their father is a dictator, and is often sent outside the region. Their mother had to go with him, so they had to live with their grandparents in a small apartment.

Sleeping comfortably is already hard, let alone paying for a grand operation like that.

"We have to work extra. We can't rely on our earnings solely on soccer matches," Ayato decided.

Their discussion ended there and then. They talked no more, and went to various places asking for part-time jobs. Both understood that talking wouldn't give any effect, so by the time they got home, they would find eachother staring at the night sky in silence.

"Please, I need a job, sir. My brother is going through several operations and I don't have any money to pay for it," Rakano pleaded hopelessly.
"Our staff is full, kid. If anything, you'll only be helping the porter."
"Yes, anything as long as I get paid," the latter's eyes shone.

Rakano worked in a small train station with little passengers, but he gets paid every week with a decent amount of money. Enough for his dinner and to save 1/4 of it for his youngest brother's operation.

A few weeks passed by, and he received a new call from the hospital.

"Am I speaking with Isagi Rakano?"
"Yes. Are there any news of my brother?"
"He doesn't show any signs of waking anytime soon. We managed to stop the bleeding, but his condition is still worrying. If he doesn't show any signs of waking after the next operation, there might be bad news."

Rakano bit his lips in frustration. He hasn't been able to contact Ayato, so he isn't sure whether he knew the news or not.

"Oi, jellyfish! Quit your daydream and help me carry this woman's luggage! Good Lord, I've never lifted anything this heavy before!"

Rakano turned his head to the direction. He hated the way his senior always called him jellyfish. Well, he isn't quite wrong. Rakano does have a jellyfish cut. But the main reason he is called that is because of his habit of zoning out and daydreaming. He hated it.

"You see, if you already tried your best and gave everything you have for your brother, I'm sure fate will find its way. Every problem comes with a solution. I bet my every yen that it will turn out fine."

Rakano smiled. At least his senior was a soft-on-the-inside guy.

***

Isagi felt his stomach aching with every step he took. He felt extremely nervous for the match. He still had to train for the match up against Japan's U-20, now he has to deal with this.

The knot on his stomach only continued to grow until he drifted to sleep, still with an aching stomach.

//

Ava and I are so sorry for the late update. I still have a few tests to finish, so updates on both this and my main account will be really slow.