❝ Thoughts, please stop tormenting me.❞
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Chapter 3
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Sitting primly on a rough bench, your legs crossed and fingers intertwined across your lap.
On your right side, the managers, coach, and trainer were ready to watch the match between Inakuni and Teikoku.
As you lean forward, your gazes fixed on the field. It doesn't matter how people react to your majestic presence, or how you repay them by simplifying stating a little information regarding what strategy Kageyama would make.
"I'm curious what Mom is doing right now..." a commotion from Teikoku's side startled you out of your thoughts on how your mother was doing at the moment. You weren't surprised when Kazemaru told them to give the Captain's headband to Shimerigawa.
When the game eventually started, you could see how slow and limp they were passing the ball to each other, and you knew this was one of Kageyama's plans.
Okuiri snatched the ball from number eleven, Sakuma Jirou. All of Teikoku's members could feel how heavy their legs were due to what they wore on their shoes.
What occurred to Teikoku will linger in Inakuni's minds, as will the question, "Is this Teikoku?" They appear to be weak, but perhaps Inakuni is stronger than they all anticipated. With that thought, Inakuni earns a score from Kozoumaru's Fire tornado.
"Does Teikoku Academy appear to be moving strangely to you?" Mikado Anna, the other manager frowned.
"Maybe they're worn out from over-practicing. What do you think, coach?"
You could hear what they were saying but didn't bother to say anything. Like, how could their coach be so clueless? Psh, of course he knew something; he isn't as ignorant as he acted; he is, after all, Zhao Jinyun.
"How about you, Nozomi-san?" Ootani inquired, as Mikado turned to face you, waiting to hear what you had to say.
"I don't know," you responded bluntly, still staring at the field with half-lid eyes.
"However, it appears that I will have to agree with your other lovely manager," you propped your chin on your hand.
You didn't call Mikado Anna by her given name because, well, you have to be careful calling them by their names, as they have not yet introduced themselves other than Ootani and Inamori.
"..." they were taken aback by the fact that you not only described Mikado Anna as a pretty manager, but it also looks that you are entirely honest in your judgment.
"I didn't get your name earlier, so I apologized if I offended you by calling you 'pretty manager,'" you said, not even batting an eye at them as your gaze remained fixed on the field.
"O-oh, that's fine, my name is Mikado Anna," she introduced herself.
You eventually stared at her blue orbs, which were gleaming with determination. Oh, how you adore her for her characteristics as well as her physical appearance.
"She's very pretty..." You didn't deny the fact that when you look at the characters who appear to be lovely and smexy, you will be drawn to them since, duh, I know all of you think so.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikado-san."
As you looked up to see the score, you muttered blandly, "2-0" Raimon's in favor.
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You simply stared at Sakuma the way he clenches his knuckles and frowns, as you just watch them like you always do.
The half time ended with Raimon's on the lead but you knew Teikoku would catch up sooner; you didn't want to ruin or spoil their plans, so repaying them will have to wait until later.
All of them saw how Inakuni's stamina began to dwindle, oh how the table turned out, who was now limping? Not Teikoku, but Inakuni.
Sakuma summoned his flying penguins, wait, can penguins fly..? Oh, nevermind... "Emperor penguin no. 2" and the other members, including Fudou, kicked the ball with their Hissatsu.
It goes on and on until Teikoku surpasses Inakuni's score. After the half-quarter, you weren't paying much attention to the game since you were bored. There were only 5 minutes left in the game, and both coaches were now smirking.
"I guess it's time to repay you, my good sir," you said to Zhao Jinyun, "Suggest to them that there will be no crossings in line; think of line configurations that no one will be able to cross."
Zhao Jinyun raised an eyebrow, how could you know what they had practiced, even though you stated it more indirectly about his strategy, and rephrased the term "Pretend foosball."
You just copied it from the anime because you knew you had no other options but to offer a method so that you could ask them for a favor again and receive a benefit from it.
They gained another point and tied with Teikoku as a result of their strategy. You could see that they have very light movement now, and you knew it was all planned. However, you decided not to interfere any more after witnessing the removal of their shoes and Fudou's argument that he was no longer reliant on the machine to succeed.
Your silver-gray orbs landed on their goalkeeper Genda Koujirou, who was brought in to play and serve as the goalkeeper this time.
"High beast fang!"
You stared at your palm and you knew deep inside that everything was already planned as you watched Inakuni score and Genda couldn't stop it.
"4-3" The game ended with Inakuni Raimon taking the victory.
They were overjoyed to have won, to have had the opportunity to experience victory. And so, even when your mc's team won, you couldn't embrace the fact that you were in the stadium with them rather than simply watching them on-screen; the fact that you were alone didn't make you feel happy.
There was an agonizing and dreadful sense of emptiness as you yearned for something you couldn't quite put your finger on. Something was missing, and every second that you weren't preoccupied with it left an imprint on your heart.
When you hear or saw the word "Home," you immediately begin to long for its familiar comforts.
It was your longing to return to your home, where you find peace, tranquillity, joy, and, most importantly, safety, but the fact that you still despise something about your home doesn't change the fact that you still misses it.
"-ozomi-san?"
"-Nozomi-san?"
You blinked owlishly and found Ootani standing in front of you; you were facing her chest because you were still sitting on the bench while she was standing.
"...?"
What Inakuni was doing just now was staring, her curiosity and suspicions tinged with wonder. Their gaze was drawn to your bored expression, but if they knew you, they'd see that your bored expression has a hint of longing in it.
"Nozomi-san?"
"Oh, I apologize for spacing out, and congratulations on your win, all of you guys did well," you sighed internally.
"It's fine, and thank you!" Asuto, the joyful boy, said.
"Hm," you hummed, and the majority of them are now staring at you as if you're a criminal.
"Hey, did you know staring is rude, as is not introducing oneself when a stranger has just introduced you?" You turned to face the other people and stated plainly.
"Eh?!?" They all yelled at the same time in their heads, "is she saying we're rude for staring as well as not introducing ourselves?"
In a total coincidence, as if you could read their minds, you cross your arms and make a request, but to them it is more like an order.
"Could you please provide me your names so that I can address you other than as Inakuni players?"
It was a simple request, but.... It is a stranger's request, someone they had only met for an hour plus your intimidating aura didn't leave your presence, and it is growing stronger the longer you wait for them to give you your name. Hiura Kirina was the first to introduce, followed by the others.
You knew their names, but for the sake of everything, you needed to learn their names on your own rather than relying on what you had seen.
You nodded and thanked them before approaching Ootani for another favor. But this time, you don't want to rely on her for much because you know she pitied you and you hated someone pitying you because in your eyes, you're not worthy of pitying.
"I don't want to bother you any longer, but since I'm experiencing memory problems, do you know of any jobs I could work at?" You asked her, hoping to find a suitable employment that would allow you to live there temporarily while you looked for a way to return to your world.
"I'm sorry, Nozomi-san, but... I'm not sure."
You did not respond to this; you simply nodded and bowed to her, saying, "That's okay, thank you for having me here, I am really delighted-"
"You're delighted? But your face doesn't show anything like that!!" Ootani sweatdropped.
"-I must take my leave now; I hope to see you soon."
Speaking with her privately now, she seems hesitant to let you go. Why? Of course, you had no memories of anything, so how could you have lived on your own? But, as you can see, you were extremely confident in your ability to survive on your own; in fact, when Ootani questioned if everything was going to be okay and you simply replied, "Yes,"
"No matter how difficult it is, I must continue surviving in this unfamiliar sight to me; I cannot rely on a single stranger and acquaintance since I know you, like everyone else, have something to do. I don't want to ruin your experience by babysitting me; I'm grateful that you helped me when I needed it; nonetheless, I must leave now."
You appeared cold-hearted when you said all of those things, but it was with honesty and sincerity that you expressed your gratitude for meeting one of the purest characters in Inazuma eleven, but you didn't want to be manipulative and use her because you knew she was too kind for her own good.
Her eyes softened, and she smiled softly before declaring enthusiastically, "I will not stop you! But, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me! we may not be friends or such, but we still know each other! Goodluck!"
You didn't anticipate her to be a bit persistent because you're a complete stranger to her, but you also didn't expect much from the anime because anime and reality had a lot of differences.
You bowed to her as if you were a butler, not as if you were a lady. They had all stopped bothering you with questions like, "What are you doing in the match?" or "Who are you?"
They simply bid you farewell in the manner of a normal person as you walked out of the field and began moving forward.
You aren't the smartest person alive, but you have every plan to survive on your own, including food, shelter, clothing, and so on. In fact, the only difference between life in anime and reality is that you were all alone here, with no mom, no friends, no background, no house, and so on. And, of course, you are the one providing financial support to both of you and your mother, as your mother has health issues related to memory loss.
Your footsteps echoed in the long hallway passage, and the tapping sound was trapped alone in the narrow corridor.
You were alone in your thoughts, pondering what to do next. There were two options: stay and do everything you can to survive and find a way to return home; or run away, do not interfere with the storyline, do not meet with the characters, and find a way to return home. However, you knew that you couldn't avoid the characters because it's a small world, and you might run into them or whatever.
Will you stay? Or will you run away?
Your thoughts vanished when you felt your face collide with a wall, which wasn't actually a wall but rather a person's back. You blinked numerous times, staring at an unknown person's back before that person turned around, and now you're facing the person's chest.
"...?"
There was stillness before you looked up to see who it was, only to find that it was none other than Teikoku's goalkeeper, Genda Koujirou, and his companions.
"Good grief"
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Details
-Ootani was the only one who knew about your "Memory loss," because you only hinted about your brain activities to them without mentioning about not remembering anything.
Do you wish to continue?
-Yes
-No