Evanescence

Riverbank Pitch

Saturday morning was quite calm, even by Inazuma Town standards.

When I went to the Riverbank Pitch, not a single prominent sound could be heard. There was just the faint background noise, which was of distant cars and slightly rustling trees. Not even the birds seemed to sing that morning, as if they had been sleeping for far too long, not minding the fact that the Sun is already out. It reminded me of Kiba, when we were much younger.

While I had just bought Raimon's school uniform the day prior, I lacked the Raimon Kit. Of course, since Endou had the grand idea of making it a prize after having the whole team see me. "You can't be a true member of the team," he said. "Until the other members get to know you!" Naïve, and a little troublesome, but it was understandable.

What I had instead was Kiba's old Sakurazaki uniform, featuring the old colours and design of the school team. A red shirt with a white collar and accents of the same colour, nicely paired with white shorts that sported a thick black line on both sides. On the back was the number 19 in white, the number which Kiba used after surrendering his striker position the year before. He said that while he was no longer to be an Ace, the numbers represented his new nature as a support to the two Striker numbers—10 and 9, which were worn by his best friends—and that was significant in itself. Those were the days when the Sakurazaki uniform was a tad lighter, incredibly different from the recent uniform's emphasis on black and red.

I carried an old soccer ball with me, one of the few things that my Uncle Kaito got from the family mansion in order to make my temporary home a lot more comfortable. I couldn't remember when I first got it, but the ball was witness to my first Hissatsu.

My Hissatsu.

A sour flavour filled my mouth at the thought, as the sweet memory quickly turned into a bitter one, reminding me of that grey-haired stranger. He still managed to send chills down my spine whenever I thought about his cryptic statements, giving me a sense of disgust each time something reminiscent of the encounter turns up.

Luckily, I heard the voice of the Goalkeeper in the distance. It was about time. Otherwise, I would have went for a short trip to the business district. And knowing myself, I would likely lose my sense of time while window shopping. It was my way of distracting myself from unsavoury thoughts.

"Oi! Kurogane-san!"

The jovial Captain jogged towards me, and lagging behind him were a number of young males, all wearing a uniform that had a bright mixture of blue and yellow. A young woman also followed them, wearing an orange tracksuit. I noticed the lack of Gouenji's presence, and I was slightly saddened—I wanted to see what he could do close-up.

Once the whole squad gathered by the centre circle, Endou introduced me. "Kurogane Suabara, a new midfielder! He's the new player I've been talking about, a student that just transferred here."

His cheery tone was quickly antagonised by a gruff voice, "So, just like that Gouenji guy? Will he leave after one match?" I turned to the voice's owner, and I was met with a figure that was just as tall as I was. He had awkward-looking pink hair that was cut very short, and an intimidating face with a prominently firm jaw. He looked at me as if he was ready to punch me. I couldn't properly identify his position from one look at him, though his aggressive behaviour may point towards an Attacking Midfielder or Striker.

Quickly coming to cool him off was a player with medium-length brown hair. His look was forgettable to be honest, for he had a completely average look about him. Judging from his physique, he is likely a Midfielder. He seemed to have at least some semblance of a good connection with the pink-haired player, maybe they are classmates and neighbours as well.