(Nothing happened really changes in the match against Teikoku so I'm just gonna skip it)
Timeskip after the match
Teikoku Gakuen... Kageyama...
From all the people out there, I didn't expect that he would put such a boring performance for once.
"What a creep." Leon scowled as he leaned back against his seat. "That mushroom hair sure gets on my nerves."
"Really~? I thought it was really entertaining though." Aikyo put both of her palm on her cheeks in adoration. "It was fun watching a wimpy dog getting thrown away by it's master, don't you think~?"
"Heh, that, I could agree with. That Kageyama sure have a weird taste in entertainment though."
"...How boring." I mumbled to myself. "He could've put up something more interesting." If only he didn't stage all of it for Ares, it would've been more entertaining.
"Aw~ It sure is hard to satisfy our sadistic queen~."
"Don't call me that, Aikyo."
"Oof, you don't like it? I'm sorry."
"It's just... Weird."
"It perfectly suits you though?"
"Not you too, Leon." I rubbed my temples in regret. If I had known they'll be this noisy, I'd had gone with Mihime or Riku or maybe I should've gone alone.
I sighed once more before getting up from my seat, "Let's go, I'll treat you guys for lunch."
"Yahoo! Thanks for the meal!" Both of them excitedly squeal and high five each other. They really are a pair of dumbheads.
This combination is not healthy for my wallet.
• • •
"Hohoho, you guys did wonderfully today!" Coach Jinyun said with his usual confident smile but my instinct is telling me otherwise. "This is why I purposely had you play this match without any strategies--"
"That's what he said, the truth is because you ran out of ideas for strategies, just kidding." Ootani said jokingly, but little did she know, that she actually hit the nails. We looked at our coach's dramatically shocked face. "Eh..?"
"Hey... Don't tell me..." Mansaku started in suspicion as we all started to sweat in panic. "You really ran out of ideas goshu?"
"No, no, no..."
Our coach just laughed nervously before taking out his strategies notebook, "Don't you worry. I still have plenty of stategies left--" Oops, looks like he accidentally dropped it and showed us the contents.
'It's blank!!!' We all thought at the same time. Lee Kobun hurriedly cleans up the mess of his master before the coach coughed and continue speaking, "Your next match will be your final one in Football Frontier preliminaries."
'He changed the subject!'
Will we really be okay with this coach...
Well, I've board the train and it already left it's station, so I guess there's nothing I can do about it. I need to focus on winning the next match, if not we wouldn't be able to advance through the finals.
Today I've decided to tag along with Asuto to watch the sixth game of the A-block preliminaries. It seems that Asuto is quite fond of watching the Seishou's matches, so I took the opportunity to observe the match too. Maybe we can get something from this match and it might be useful.
"Huh? Haizaki isn't playing." Asuto mumbled to himself.
"Haizaki... If I remember correctly, he's Seishou gakuen's devil of the field right?" Asuto nodded at my words.
"Why should I bother with a lowlife team like them?" A sudden voice interrupted our conversation and we looked to the source of the voice. It's non other than Haizaki himself. "Do you enjoy spying on me?"
Woah, this guy have quite the opposite aura from Asuto huh?
"I wasn't spying on you. I just wanted to see you play." Asuto explained calmly with his usual bright smile.
"You've got weird taste." Haizaki said as he walked to stand besides Asuto. "I couldn't agree with you more." I added to his statement.
"Huh? The hell are you? Don't just come barging into our conversation."
"Ask nicely and maybe I will introduce myself to you." He scowled at my words and decided to not bother with it. "And besides, you came to watch our match too yesterday. Why can't we come to observe yours?"
"Tch, I just didn't have anything to do yesterday."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." I ignored his antiques and ended our conversation. Who would've thought that the devil is just your average tsundere boy?
"Those seats look empty." A voice passing by us can be heard.
"Nosaka." I looked at Haizaki who growled at the two figure who's just passing by. It was a boy with pinkish red hair and a pair of empty looking grey eyes and another one is a tall looking blonde bodyguard(?).
Oh, I've seen that pink hair in Ootani's Inazuma cards collection book before. I think she said he's one of the popular players these days.
I was too caught up in my thoughts that I didn't realize Haizaki started to make a fuss with the two.
"Is it a bad thing when someone shows weakness?" Haizaki gritted his teeth at them. "Who the hell do you think you are?"
The pink haired guy smirked with confidence, "I think you'd find that out when you fight against me. Rest assured, I am of a higher level than you guys."
Well that's just rude.
Suddenly I felt his eyes landed on me and he gave me a smile, "Ah, don't worry. I'm saying this to them, not to you, Hina-chan."
"Huh... I didn't expect anyone to know my name."
"You're at least much worthy to be remembered compared to these guys who even struggled when they're faced against kidokawa seishuu."
"Shut your mouth! I swear, I will crush you guys!" Haizaki once again barked at them. He have no calm at all when it comes to outei tsukinomiya huh?
"Haizaki-kun, why are you so hostile towards us?" I'm intrigued, go on.
"Did you think that I was clueless? About the scales of Ares system and your dirty ways?!"
Ares system... If I remember correctly, it was a system that Yukichii and Min-chan once was on, but I don't remember them saying that it was dangerous in the slightest.
"Akane... She was made into it's victim because of you guys... I will never forgive you guys!"
Akane-san, I remember Kozoumaru said to us something about Haizaki playing soccer because he wanted to get revenge for this Akane-san person.
"I see." Nosaka replied coldly with his motionless face, "but at the level you're at now, it will be impossible for you to beat us." He said lastly before the two left us.
Huh? Is it just me or did Nosaka just flashed me a sinister smile?
"When you say you're playing soccer for revenge..." Asuto started. "Is it because you're doing it for Akane-san?"
Haizaki turned away to leave, "it's none of your business."
"We heard from Kozoumaru that you go visit someone named Akane-san at the hospital."
"Kozoumaru? Ah, that fatass." He clicked his tongues, "So you've been sneaking around after me."
"Is the scale of Ares system linked to Akane-san being in the hospital? Akane-san is really important to you, right? That's why you're using soccer as revenge-"
"I told you, it's non of your business!"
"It is my business! You're an incredible soccer player. I have so much respect for you. That's why I want to see you play soccer from the heart!"
"You're annoying. What the hell is your problem?"
"Soccer is so much fun... Has the thought of playing soccer purely for fun never once crossed your mind?"
Haizaki looked stunned for a second, "What a load of crap. Don't assume that I'm the same as your losers who enjoy playing pretend socccer. I've made up my mind to take out Outei Tsukinomiya."
He then turned his attention towards us again. "Listen up, Inamori and... Hina or whatever your name is! I will advance to the finals, no matter what it takes! I'll get stronger so that I can beat up those I don't like! I'll get stronger than anyone!"
Uh... I don't think that's how it works...
"Stay out of my business." He lastly said as he finally left the two of us alone.
Then suddenly the announcer said something about the whole opponent players of Seishou Gakuen caught a flu and can't play due to it.
"Huh?! All of them?!" Asuto and I exclaimed at the same time.
Then Asuto's phone rang a few times before he picked it up. "Captain?"
"Bad news, Asuto! Is Hina-san with you?"
"Yeah, I'm here, captain. What's up?"
"Our last opponent, Aoba Academy, has forfeited because their members were caught cheating on exams!"
"What?! Then, what happens to us?"
"The other teams have already finished their six matches for the prelims. So, in order for everyone to have an even number of matches, the last match is going to be between us and Seishou."
I knew that bad feeling back then when the coach said he has no plans is something.
"Huh? We're fighting Seishou again?" Oh right, they had fought against them before I joined.
I can't believe Haizaki's wish of crushing us came true this fast.