PREVIOUSLY: ENCOUNTER
The blue-haired teen seems to hesitate about that. On the other hand, if she informed the team, they would only make matters more difficult for the brunette to manage. She sighs and nods in agreement. "Fine, I'll keep my word, although allow me to periodically check on you to make sure you are alright."
Tenma smiles at her. "Arigatou, Yuoko." Right on cue, a car stops in front of them, and the driver exits to reveal that he is the brunette's butler. "Itsuki-san!"
"Tenma, what heppened to you." The butler asked, of course, worried. The brunette and Yuoko glance at each other and face the butler again.
Tenma sheepishly scratches the back of his head. "About it..." He then was cut off by his best friend. "Long story. I will explain everything on the way. For now, we need to get back to the hotel so that Arion can rest."
The butler complies with her request and assists her in bringing the brunette inside the car. Fortunately, they left Raimon Jr. High without being seen as they immediately drove away from the school.
............................................................................
In Mitsui Garden Hotel, Yuoko and Itsuki were in the living room part of the team's floor. As Yuoko ready to explain what happened to them at Raimon Jr. High had caused the brunette to be exhausted and why they were there in the first place. The door suddenly opened, revealing a worried advisor. "Yuoko, where's Arion? Ohhh Itsuki-san, you're here."
The butler takes a sip of his tea and puts it down. "If you are looking at the young master, he is resting in his room."
The advisor approaches them and sends the manager a worried expression. "What happened to him, Yuoko? His vital signs instantly surged when I checked at the iPad." She reaches out the iPad to her and shows the health conditions of the brunette an hour ago.
Yuoko exhales and feels guilty. 'Sorry, Tenma.' "Have a sit Matsui-sensei. I'll explain everything."
FLASHBACK
When the Shizen left the riverbank, they discussed where they wanted to go. After settling in, they disperse into groups.
Osamu, Takuya, Kouji, Ju, and Yuoko are on their way to the convenience store to buy goods for their dinner this evening. Meanwhile, the others are going to have a tour around the district of Inazuma town.
"Are they all gonna be okay without us?" Yuoko asked, feeling a bit worried for others. Primarily they are still not familiar with the place except for their brunette captain.
"Don't worry Yuoko. They will be fine as long as they are together." Takuya rest assured her. "Besides, we have the shizen band. We can track each other at any time as long as they are wearing it."
"I'm sure Hiro will pull them in a food shop," Kouji comments as he shows a hologram in his band where the others are right now. It seems they are currently close to the district, and expectedly Hiro and Koichi are leading the way while the others are slowly following behind them.
Tenma mentally facepalms. He can clearly imagine what his best friend is doing. "Forget about them. As for us, we haven't decided yet what to cook." Osamu says to let them focus back on their task at hand.
"I say, we will have a Shrimp Avocado Salad with Tomatoes. I'll make a Hanami Dango for our dessert." Suggest Yuoko. After giving it some thought, they nod as they are okay with it. Considering some of their members have already eaten, a light dinner will do for all of them.
"Alright. We are almost there. Let's get this finished." Tenma remarks, and they continue walking their way to the store.
Unexpectedly, someone bumps into the brunette when they make a left turn on the street, knocking them both to the ground.
"Ju!" Yuoko and Osamu instantly help the brunette while Takuya and Kouji assist what appears to be a girl in a school uniform, gathering up her things that are spread across the ground.
"Gomen. Gomen. Gomen." The girl profoundly bows down and repeatedly apologizes to the brunette.
"It's alright. It is also my fault for not seeing you." Tenma comforts her in a soothing voice.
The girl gathered her composure and could now see the person she had bumped into. Her mind suddenly went awake. She was speechless when she stared at the brunette and his companion.
The five teens glance at each other, puzzled by what might have surprised the girl. The girl pulls out her phone and alternates between staring at it and them. She then starts pointing at each one of them.
"Luke Hughes (Hirai Kouji). Ethan Young (Hansuke Takuya). Dale Pearce (Tezuka Osamu). (Lyra Yarrow) Ono Yuoko." The teenagers are stunned that she is aware of their foreign names. They only used it when they were traveling outside of the country.
And finally, the girl points toward the brunette, but somehow the black mask prevents her from identifying him. Then, out of the blue, a realization left her dumbfounded and on the verge of exploding. "OMG! Don't tell me... You're... You're..." That's when Tenma realizes once he touches his head. It appears that his hood falls off when they bump into each other.
Before he has time to ponder further, he instinctively pulls back his hood and covers the mouth of the girl to keep her from attracting unwanted attention. The girl is taken aback by his action, but he signals for her to be silent by placing his finger in his mouth.
He carefully takes his hands away from her mouth after waiting for a nod to confirm that she has already calmed down. "Let's go somewhere secluded." They head to an empty park. The teens scan around and think they won't be bothered by anyone while they are here.
The girl speaks first in a whisper. "Are you really, Arion Sherwind?" Tenma lets out a sigh before taking off his hood and the mask, revealing his face to her. "Goodness Gracious!" She covers her mouth in shock at this discovery. "You really are Ario..." Her voice becomes louder and louder as she struggles to contain her excitement
"Shhhhh! Will you keep it down?" Tenma places a finger over her mouth to shut her up.
The girl obeys his request and keeps her voice low. "Sorry. It's because I've been a huge fan of yours ever since you entered the music industry. I've been actively following news about you until you switch to becoming a soccer player. It's disappointing that after your game against Russia, I heard less about you and your team. More like you suddenly all disappeared. I can't begin to describe how thrilled I am to have met you here in Japan."
Although it's true they've been hiding from the general public for years, this should be done so they can freely carry out their goals and also be protected. Within those years, they have been secretly traveling around the world and training simultaneously.
Tenma flashes a smile at her. "Gomen. We want a getaway from the media. They obstruct our personal lives and hinder us from taking part in things we prefer."
"Can you autograph this?" She opens her bag and takes a pen and a photo card.
"Yeah, sure." Tenma takes the items and shows them to his companion.
It is a photograph of him and his mother playing the piano on stage. It was his first appearance in the music industry. He can clearly see his mother and him giving each other joyful glances.
"Where did you get this?" Osamu asked, impressed.
"Actually, I made it myself. My father really captured the perfect image of you and your mother performing at the event. So I decided to turn it into a photocard. It truly brings me great luck." Tenma writes his autograph on the back of the photocard. "I apparently have an extra photocard like this as well."
She reaches out for another photocard from her bag to the brunette. "If you like, you can have it."
Without any hesitation, Tenma accepted her offer. "Arigatou, umm..." He scratches the back of his head, embarrassed that he hasn't yet learned her name.
The girl gets the hint and smiles at them. "Call me Mila. Mila Vasileva."
Tenma nods after expressing he clearly memorized her name. "Arigatou, Mila-san. I will truly treasure this gift you've given to me."
"Just drop the formalities. Only Mila will do it. I believe we are in the same year."
"Alright, Mila. Call me Arion." This time he examined her entire figure. She got ash blue hair and brown eyes. Not long later, something caught his attention.
Firstly, he needs to get rid of his friends. "Osamu-san, why don't you, Takuya-san, and Kouji head to the store first? We will meet back at the hotel. I need to ask Mila a question. It will take some time for us to finish."
Takuya is about to speak, but Tenma cuts him first. "I know you won't agree. Don't worry. I will be accompanied the rest of the time by Yuoko. I'll contact Itsuki-san to come to pick us up. He would arrive later now."
Bringing up the butler seems to convince them a little bit. But it doesn't mean they will leave him that way. They assured the butler he would always have at least one male teen with him. "It would be better if Takuya stayed with you also." Osamu adds up being serious.
When Tenma stares into the goalkeeper's eyes, he can tell the senior is aware of what he is planning to do. Osamu crosses his arms across his chest, not wanting the brunette to go near them in his current condition. 'I won't allow you to risk it.'
Tenma shakes his head in disapproval. He fully understands why, out of the three of them, his senior decided to let Takuya stay by his side. It makes sense the senior midfielder does not easily yield to his emotions. He only shows anger when he sends a warning or a threat which causes everyone on the Shizen to want to avoid getting on his bad side.
Nevertheless, it is difficult for him to keep them by his side, considering he knows they will make it harder for him to control them or even reveal their whereabouts. He doesn't want that to happen. "YA ne sobirayus' deystvovat' oprometchivo. (I'm not going to act rashly.)"
With his stern eyes, the goalkeeper backs away. Despite his stubbornness, Osamu is powerless to change the brunette's decision. "Alright, lend me your band."
The brunette is confused at the sudden request but gives him his band anyway. Osamu touches a button from the band, and a little hologram appears. "I'll alter your tracker to be identical to ours. The others won't be skeptical because of this, except us. But I can't promise it will go on longer."
Osamu gives back the band to the brunette. "It's more than enough. Arigatou, Osamu-san." Heavily appreciative of him, Tenma tilts his head. He won't have to bother about others worrying about him anymore.
"Alright. We are going. Be extra careful Ju." Takuya pats the brunette on the shoulder and pulls his hood back up. Osamu turns to face their manager and mouths some words at her. 'Please, look after him.'
Yuoko gets the message and nods. "See you two back at the hotel." Kouji said, with his two seniors now leaving the park.
Once they are alone, Mila doesn't understand the situation and just asks the brunette. "Arion, what do you mean, you don't act rashly? What do you want to talk about?"
"Wait! You understand Slavic?" Surprised, Tenma asked. He had no idea that she would understand what he had said.
"Ummm, duh. Konechno, yestestvenno, ya dolzhen ponimat' svoy rodnoy dialekt. Rossiya moya rodina. (Of course, naturally, I should be able to understand my native dialect. Russia is my home country.)." She suddenly starts speaking in Slavic. Now, Tenma and Yuoko were convinced that she is saying the truth.
"It all makes sense, so why are you here in Japan? I don't think I've ever seen you around town. Also your uniform. You're from Raimon Jr High?"
Mila looks at her uniform. "Ohh, yeah. My parents sent me to live here with my grandparents two weeks ago because they had to leave on a business trip and wouldn't be returning for another year. After that, my grandparents enrolled me at Raimon Jr. High. I'm in my first year right now. I'm having problems keeping up with the class in the first week, though my seatmate Sorano-chan really helps me out."
Tenma is completely taken aback by the mentioned name. There could only be one meaning. "Wait, Sorano. You mean, Sorano Aoi? Dark blue hair and light blue eyes."
"Umm, yeah. How do you know her?" Mila is surprised at this, which makes the brunette facepalm.
Yep. What luck. He ends up bumping into someone particularly close to his former friends. Further, he can guess that she is the one who took his old seat at Raimon. "Nevermind. But you must promise me that you won't ever — and I mean never — tell anyone that you met us. It will let me ensure our safety."
Mila tilts her head, confusion written on her face. "How come? I thought you all lived here."
"Not technically. We live on the far side of the country. We are in this town for only 2 days because we have some important business to accomplish. Which reminds me, are you in a hurry today or do you have some things to do?"
"Actually, I'm not." Mila pulls out her phone and checks her schedules and to-do list. "I have nothing to do so far within this day."
"Perfect. Would you mind? I need to ask you for a favor."
"Sure. What is it?" Mila says it without any hesitation.
"I want you to take this..." Tenma takes out a black flash drive with a piece of a small envelope and hands it over to Mila. "Go to Raimon Soccer Clubroom. Put this on a table where it can be easily seen by soccer members. Make sure no one sees you sneaking in." For a brief moment, he flashes his band, displaying the time. "By now. I guess all of them are training in the outside field. We only have an hour before they will finish."
"What is got to do with the Raimon Soccer Club?" Mila gets curious about this as they start walking in the direction of Raimon Jr. High.
Tenma is silent for a bit as he is lost in thoughts. Yuoko checks him intently and is concerned. So she is instead the one who answers Mila's question. "You'll just have to figure it out for yourself once you arrive at Raimon Soccer Club."
Mila simply nods in understanding since she doesn't want to force them.
"I've been wondering, Mila. Up until this point, you have been a devoted fan of mine. Why do you give us such high praise when you know we have been gone for a very long time?" The brunette asked. Ever since he discovered she was a fan of his, he has always pondered the question of how she came to become a fan of his in the first place.
Suddenly remembering her first impression of the brunette, Mila scratches the back of her head in embarrassment. "Ummm. Unlike the others who adore you because of your parents and your appearance or talent. I'm not sure whether you remember, but you once saved me from a bully."
Tenma is baffled by it and attempts to remember. Then, a thought occurs to him. When he was heading to his home in Russia, he was in a car. He deliberately looks out the window and admires the surroundings.
Just by chance, he sees a girl sprinting toward an alley with a man following closely behind. He instructs his chauffeur to stop the car and investigate the young woman. Just in time, he hits the man in the knees, causing him to tumble on the ground, stopping him from hitting the girl with a heavy wooden stick. When the man has had a chance to recover, Tenma swiftly grabs the girl, and the two of them sprint away out of the alley before jumping in the car. In awe of his discovery, Tenma cannot speak.
"Yes, that's me. Ever since then, I want to know more about you and discovered you are a son of a great singer. I can tell, your parents raised you well into a fine young man with a golden heart." Mila beams a cheery smile, delighted to express this feeling. "I'll always be grateful to you for saving my life, and I won't ever forget it."
Not long after, they happened to have arrived at the back entrance of the Raimon Jr. High. "So this is it, I'll head to the Soccer Club. Hope I'll see you again soon."
"Arigatou, Mila for doing this. We'll cross paths eventually. I'll be returning soon with my team. Just wait a little bit longer. blagodaryu vas (Thank You)." He gives her a heartfelt bow of gratitude while Yuoko follows his action as well.
"Eto sovsem ne problema. Ty dal mne vtoroy shans na zhizn'. V lyuboye vremya, kogda vam eto nuzhno, ya budu zdes', chtoby pomoch (It's not at all a problem. You gave me a second chance at life. Anytime you need it, I'll be here to help.)"
Tenma collects himself once again while beaming with satisfaction. He turns his attention to his best friend. "Yuoko, please accompany Mila in there. Make sure no one sees or suspects her sneaking."
"But, I can't leave you alone." Yuoko protests not getting back on her words.
"I can manage on my own. I'm not going to talk to them. Just for a bit, let me check them. Please." The brunette begs with his puppy dog eyes until can't resist his request.
"Alright, fine. You had me. I'll be right back in 10 minutes, do not do anything."
Tenma raises his right hand, promising her. "Also, give Itsuki-san a call."
Yuoko nods before following Mila. They both leave the brunette alone and dash to the Soccer Clubroom.
FLASHBACK END
Yuoko goes on to describe the incident that took place on the soccer field, where Tenma protected her from being struck by a ball. "It all happened so quickly that I simply became stunned and was unsure of what to do. Tenma employs various powerful techniques: one to deflect the ball from hitting me and the other to prevent harming the Raimon team."
For some time, the butler and the counselor are silent while they analyze everything. It comes as absolutely no surprise that the brunette acts without hesitation to save his best friend from harm, even if doing so costs him his life.
"We appreciate you telling us this, Yuoko. You should retire to your room and take a rest. When the crew returns, we will take care of them." Yuoko obeys the butler said and politely walks away from the living room.