❝ I intended to be rude.❞
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Chapter 21
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You blink at the sight of the athletes preparing for their upcoming match inside the arena. You have an advantage when watching the game due to your knowledge of both teams' strengths and weaknesses; yet, you are not only watching the game, but you are also playing as Inakuni Player once more.
"I'm going to have to call the cops on this." You mentioned adjusting the white sock onto your knee while you didn't bother to tie your hair.
Having the uniform suit and hearing the crowd roar with approval. You had just been taken captive by Zhao Jinyun for the second time.
"Don't act so foolishly, Nozomi-chan! I'll re-offer you a fantastic bargain, and you will alter your mind."
"What makes you believe that I will change my mind?" Then, with a firm tone, you grab the towel and start scattering it throughout the room. You feel a tug on your shirt and turn around, only to look down and see the goofy-looking mascot, whose true identity you have known for some time. He flinched at the sound of your voice, but you shouldn't have any trouble with him startling around you. He directed his index finger in the direction of Zhao Jinyun, who was grinning and holding a piece of paper in his hands at the time. To your utter astonishment, he does in fact have a very good offer for you this time.
You said, "I'll take it," accepting the deal, which made the coach of the Inakuni team grin even wider. After adjusting your shoe, you left the other two in the room alone, and shortly thereafter, they followed you out of the room in order to join you on the field.
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As you approached a particular direction, a ray of sunlight washed your upper half, from the head to the upper abdomen, before completely enveloping you in its radiance.
Your abrupt entrance astounded practically all of the Inakuni members, with the exception of Ootani, who only beamed. Others, such as some audiences in which the main characters are involved, are likewise astonished by your interventions.
"Nozomi-san?"
After all that had occurred, it was surprised to hear that their coach had recruited you again for this match. Yet, they were somewhat relieved to have additional players available as subs, despite not having complete faith in your abilities.
The rival team's goalkeeper apparently heard all the noise of the opposing team and turned around to find you wearing Inakuni's uniform. "Nozomi-san!" he said, startled and happy to see you playing the sports he enjoys.
Hearing your name on the opposite side of the field, you turn to find Endou smiling and waving to you; being a person who has learnt politeness, you did not hesitate to return the gesture.
On the other side, Kazemaru, who was seated comfortably in the crowd, was blinking and intrigued about what was happening below the field. After what transpired at the mall, he recognized you and was eager to see what you had to show. After all, he was aware that Zhao Jinyun was not an idiot who would make an offer for a single player after you had left the match with Hakuren.
He observes the interaction between you and his former teammate Endou. As per Goenji, who sat next to him, he had never seen his friend so serious; he had never witnessed Kazemaru staring so attentively at the girl who was waving at Endou; he was, of course, intrigued; he had been with them for nearly a year.
You were oblivious to the fact that you did not notice the looks that your current team gave you, which consisted of silence and judging looks; however, it did not bother you in the least, as they were still nice. In point of fact, it seems as though you don't care since you didn't care in the first place.
After a brief exchange with Endou, you place your hands on your hips, return to your place and resume your duties.
You let out a yawn as your hands went over your lips and cupped them between your fingers. Once more, you found yourself amid all of these other people. You courageously stood in front of them, focusing your sights on the goalpost while you started ignoring the noise that was going on around you. Focusing on your senses, you were struck by a powerful impulse to hide and run.
The phrases that were supposedly telling you "one is good, two is bad" actually have a double meaning.
The "no presence" strategy is concealing yourself and allowing your presence to blend in without attracting attention. Go, run as fast as you can, don't glance back, and don't hesitate while you have no presence; exploit their absence.
Don't show your face to the world; instead, stay hidden so no one can find out who or what you are. Don't think twice about it; they're coming after you.
You should be very comfortable with the calculation, as you developed it yourself. However, is it something like that? Is it the former or maybe the latter?
Before maintaining your stances, you got one last look at Zhao Jinyun, who sells ice cream while disguised as a mascot in the stadium. Putting your worries aside; the same game that decimated the anime had begun. You spread your arms out, palms touching, while you take a few steps forward on purpose.
Kozoumaru was the first player to kick the ball, and after he sent it to their captain, Asuto took possession of it as quickly as possible. However, he quickly passed it to Goujin so that he could have a chance to score without using hissatsu. Goujin only used the kick method, and unfortunately Endou was able to easily stop the weak attack and bounce it back.
You suddenly materialized in front of Endou like a wisp of smoke and threw the ball upward while also jumping fairly high. There was no sound associated with your arrival. The passage of time may have appeared to be excruciatingly slow, yet, from your perspective, it may as well have felt like everything became transparent and accelerated.
You kick the ball with a reasonable amount of strength since you are more focused on accomplishing your goals first; you want to make it invincible. If you are able to execute the no presence approach, you are also able to make the ball without any presence, given that you are in control of it yourself.
You landed gracefully, with the soles of your rubber shoes touching the floor. You stood there, unfazed by what you had just done as the stillness itself was the proof of awe of the audience, before they exploded into the greatest possible volume.
Without wasting a single second, you scored the first goal.
You responded, "That was easy," which provoked some of the other players due to your surprising mannerisms. Asuto was the one who was the most taken aback by it because you are not the kind of person who would say things like that. As a result, it led him to believe that you are actually a very direct person; you're really very nice, but when it comes to games, you're quite a different person.
Someone on the opposing team remarked, "That was sort of-" He was just reacting to how you've been underestimating them, so he simply spoke his feelings.
"-Rude?" You continue what he was about to say, glance at your shoes, and say, "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, but I meant to be disrespectful."
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The room's paper-thin walls were rotting and covered with green mold, and a pair of eyes peered at the glowing screen emanating from the TV. Her pupils are as large as boulders and dilated, and she never takes her attention off the device she's using to examine your form on the field.
She scowled at you while cussing and swearing under her breath while she nibbled on the fingernails of her hands.
She was biting her nail in the thumb when she was startled into stopping by a laugh. When she turned around, she saw a person who was grinning broadly and saying, "It's been one week since the last time I saw you."
The individual steals a glance at the television and grins even broadly before asking, "What would you do to her?"
"Ms. Haruna Ayaka."
She casts a deadly gaze at the person, her emotion flowing like the air around her, before fiercely scratching her face and laughing hysterically which results in the formation of a little spot,"...ha...ha...ha."
"She has been enjoying herself here the entire time; I would like for her to endure much more pain." She grins like a lunatic as she notices that the camera is focused on you. "Oh, Nozomi Kamui, I am so happy to see you again!"
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You scored two points throughout the entire game without breaking a sweat or becoming fatigued, and the game ended swiftly.
Because of your interference with the scene, the game modifications that were supposed to take place during the first round, such as Kozoumaru shooting the fire tornado, did not take place at all. However, this does not imply that nothing occurred.
Everything seems to be in constant motion, as is the case in anime. Intervening or not, it happened with or without your intervention.
You stare up at the sky with your head tilted, as if you have nothing left to live for but the blankness in your mind.
You choose to maintain your silence throughout the match given that nothing can be said with complete certainty. It seemed as though nothing could change your mind that this is just a game because your feelings about the match are neutral. Suddenly, your attention was drawn to the players who were actually having fun during the game, regardless of whether or not they were the winners.
"Mui-san!"
"Nozomi-san!"
When the two cinnamon buns yelled in unison, they both whirled around, dumbfounded, to look at each other. They engaged in a prolonged staring battle, with one key difference: they kept blinking. They quickly diverted their gaze away from each other and took the next step toward approaching you.
Endou stood to your left and Asuto stood to your right as you faced them both simultaneously in front of you. They both wanted to speak with you and congratulate you on your accomplishment, but you beat them to the punch by saying those words first.
"Congratulations." Your response caused them to stop and gaze into your alluring eyes. The softness of your voice, the way you stare at them with a blank expression, and the sincerity with which you say, "You both did very well" may have completely captured them without you even realizing it.
After those words, that one sentence, have been spoken, it seems as though their world has been changed.
Asuto was at a loss for words and did not know how to respond to that. Even he was confused about how he ought to feel. He wanted to say that you are very admirable for your performance earlier and for giving him advice that night, but if he did so, it would have felt as though he was undermining you.
He was already aware that your presence is unparalleled.
The gentleman wearing a bandana was rendered stunned. How could he, the gregarious, feel as though he has been dragged down and become so quiet? A sudden bout of shyness? Everyone praised his abilities, and he was accustomed to it. But your existence and the manner in which you congratulated them were completely unexpected.
It was quite dry.
But,
For him, this was something completely novel. The earnestness with which you talked is reminiscent of his previous attempts to recreate Raimon; but, unlike you, he is adorned with a sincere smile.
Endou was simply being himself. He was aware of the fact that he was a sociable person and that, as a result of his nature, he had a lot of friends; nevertheless, he was also aware, on a more fundamental level, that he had made good friends, most notably his new friend, who would remain in his memory forever.
He was prepared to create a priceless recollection with you and his other friends.
Both of them shine brightly at you, causing everyone to wear sunglasses, but those without them are regrettably blinded by the two rays of sunlight. For you, it had no effect; however, you are oblivious to the fact that you have just become their source of hope. And it was because of a simple gesture. It's ironic how a seemingly insignificant act of kindness may pay off in this fabricated reality.
"Damn..." Goujin stared at the three of you in wonder while covering his eyes with his sunglasses. "I can't see because of them."
"Same." Hikkiri spoke while cradling a bottle of water and a pair of glasses.
"Hmm... WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU CAME FROM AND WHO ARE YOU?!"
She pointed the corridor that led to the exit and said, "...oh, I am here for Nozomi-san."
You appeared behind Goujin out of nowhere, which caught him off guard for the second time that day; he shrieked, "AH-! MY HEART-!" While he was looking at the girls in front of him, he tightened his grip on the middle of his shirt.
"The cafe will be resting for one week," she said, handing her a white horizontal envelope with your name written on the back. "Hajime-san instructed me to deliver the items to you."
You grasp them, ensuring that they will not become disheveled. She continues, "We are leaving town." You nod your head in agreement, comprehending what she meant when she stated that the store will be closed for roughly seven days.
The brief interaction between you two has already become a history in which neither of you appeared to care about the other. Yet, the two of you will always hold onto this sweet reminder.
You both bowed to one another before Hikkiri vanished from your line of sight. You could clearly see a few little scratches on her soft lips, a solitary scratch on her right cheek, and a dark mark on her right wrist. Due to her sleeved apparel, it is difficult to identify her injuries, but as an astute observer, you noticed it when she handed you the envelope with her sleeves slightly open.
On the contrary, Hikkiri frowned. She was aware that not divulging the reason could lead to complications in the future. However, her justifications and Hajime's reasons are distinct from one another. In addition, she has no idea what her teacher's motivations are for leaving town.
She looks at her hands and says, "I'm leaving so that I can rest for a short while."
"... It appears that the scoundrel was loitering once more." While whispering, you glared at nothing.
Goujin who hears you speaking incoherently will blink in bewilderment. What did you just say? Fortunately, neither he nor anyone else heard your murmurings.
"Who was that Mui-san?"
"Yeah! You abruptly vanish from our view and reappeared in front of the girl!"
You gingerly place the item she gave you, "an acquaintance of mine," in your pocket.
As you were about to set off without saying anything besides that you have nothing to do with them, Asuto grabbed your hand, causing you to react quite violently.
You recoiled at the unexpected contact of a stranger's hand, instinctively drawing away from him.
As you felt a surge of unfamiliar emotions, you found yourself inexplicably withdrawing from his presence without understanding the root cause of your reaction. The mere memory of Fudou's gentle grip on your shoulder and, above all, Endou's tender grasp of your hand with utmost respect, still lingers in your mind. Pray tell, why didst thou contort thy visage at the gentle caress of Asuto, the esteemed protagonist?
It would be disingenuous to deny that the matter was causing significant distress, yet the prospect of being touched without constraint had become intolerable.
What happened?
"Get your hands off me!!"
"Why not? Does my hand make you scared."
Fortuitously, Asuto remained oblivious to the immense reaction he had elicited from you. However, he did take note of your flinch at his touch and promptly apologized. You acknowledged his apology with a nod and dismissed the incident, choosing not to make a fuss about it.
"Mui-san/Nozomi-san." Once more, they make their way to that place, uttering your name in perfect harmony. As the conversation progresses, one person asks the other, "Wanna eat together?" they gazed into each other's eyes, a perplexing realization dawned upon them - their thoughts were inexplicably aligned. "Huh?" they both uttered in unison, bewildered by the inexplicable connection they shared. As the dramatic scene between the two main characters played out before you, you stood motionless, a silent observer to the unfolding events.
Wait, did they intend to provide you with free food? If so, it would be wise for you to stay for a while before going.
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Details
—The deal that was offered was financial support for a whole year.
—At this point in the story, Hajime's motives are essential.
—There will be a gradual unveiling of many previously hidden details. Some of the chapters have a bearing on what happens later.
Would you like to continue?
—Yes
—No