It started a long time ago.
The first time was when... I think I was four? Yeah. It was when I just started going to school. A couple of months in probably?
I was packing my things and getting ready to go home when I heard laughing coming from outside. I saw some of my classmates in a circle. One of them had a soccer ball under his foot.
I've tried asking to play with them once before, but they said they had plans so they couldn't. I haven't been able to ask again, so I thought that was my chance.
I was wrong.
"That Kyousuke's weird."
"Uh-huh. I can't understand what he says sometimes."
"I don't like sitting next to him..."
Honestly, I never really understood why they said that stuff. I just remember I went home crying that day. My brother was the one that comforted me and offered to play with me on the weekend.
It was many months later that I met you.
By then, I already gave up trying to talk to or get along with the other kids at school and spent my days looking forward to hanging out with my brother and only my brother.
That day, I was kicking the ball around with him as usual. It was a repetitive game where we just passed to each other, but I wasn't doing it right. I kept losing my balance.
And then the ball went straight to your face.
I went over and apologized, but you were still mad. I thought you were going to insult me too.
But you didn't.
"When you're going to pass it to someone, you should pay attention to that person. You can't aim if you keep looking at the ball."
The first lesson you ever gave me.
You passed the ball back to me perfectly before leaving. It surprised me so much I nearly forgot to thank you.
The next week, while I was playing with my brother again, I spotted you at the same seat as before. I must've been staring for too long because my brother noticed and told me to go talk to you.
But I was too scared to.
I was still worried if you'd treat me like they did, so he came up with a plan. At first, he pretended to miss his passes, making sure the ball gets near you so you'd help get it. Eventually, it started becoming obvious that he was doing it on purpose and he began to simply kick it towards you.
When you stopped the ball and dribbled it towards us, I was worried if we had upset you, but all you said was, "If you wanted to invite me to play, you could just ask, you know..."
I remember laughing at that because of how embarrassed I was. You really were a nice person.
I still remember the rest of that conversation too.
"My name's Kyousuke! That's my brother."
"Tsurugi Yuuichi. You can call me by my first name too." My brother said. "What's your name?"
"...Kimiko."
"Are you new around here? I don't think I've seen you around before last week."
"I live a few towns over. I'm just here to see some relatives."
"Ah... That explains it."
Hearing that, I asked you, "Does that mean you'll come here often from now on?"
"I'll be around every weekend or so."
As embarrassing as it is to admit, those words made my day.
"Then, does that mean we can play with you every weekend too?"
"Kyousuke..."
"Nii-chan, she's great at playing! Like you! If we play soccer together, then I can get just as good in no time! And then, we can chase after Gouenji-san together!"
"Gouenji-san...? Do you mean Gouenji Shuuya?"
I remember exploding into a rant about why I idolized him so much. A part of me felt a little regret, thinking you must've been annoyed by me, but...
"Someday, I'll get into Raimon, and then the world tournament, and then I'll be a world class ace striker just like him!"
You had a smile on your face. "Only if you learn to handle the ball correctly."
You teased me, but it didn't make me feel bad at all. Somehow, some way... It actually motivated me.
We saw each other every week after that. You always come and go at the exact same time, so after a few weeks, it was like my body knew when to turn to the gate to see you running in. It also knew when to stop and wave at you while you leave.
But then, that... accident happened.
I was too panicked to notice my surroundings, but when I started to understand that my brother was being taken to the hospital, it was already late. I vividly remember turning to the gate thinking you had left...
Only to realize you were standing right beside me, holding― squeezing my hand.
"He's going to be alright, Kyou. Yuu-san is really strong."
You tried to comfort me even while looking like you wanted to cry yourself.
I remember how tightly I squeezed your hand back and how we chased after the ambulance together.
~~~~~
I nearly quit soccer that time. I told you it was because I wanted to find a way to help get the money for my brother's surgery. I studied hard everyday and kept myself from complaining about anything. Mom and dad had enough to worry about.
I studied and studied and studied. I notice you coming into my room and leaving at the exact same time every week, but I don't remember greeting you that often.
Before I knew it, a whole year had passed. When I finally realized I was pushing you away...
Would you believe me if I told you I broke down crying?
You were my first and only friend, and I heard you say I was yours. I should've treated you better.
When I went to the park that day, I was thinking of how I could apologize. You didn't let me. You just took the ball from my feet and began teaching me to play again, like nothing had changed.
You didn't want me to feel bad, so you kept your smile up as always.
We continued to practice every week from then on. Before we knew it, two whole years had passed. I got better and better and better, until finally...
"H-Huh?" I blinked down at the ball I took from you. "... I did it? I-I really just―"
"Good job, Kyou!" Even though you just lost, you gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen you make. "That was amazing! I knew it! Speed really is your strong point!"
"I won... I really won!"
"Yup, yup!" You clapped for me before suddenly a new expression appeared on your face. "Alright. My turn."
I only blinked once, but you were suddenly right in front of me. Startled, I stumbled back, letting you take the ball easily.
I couldn't do anything but stare at you with my mouth opened.
You laughed at me and held a hand out. "Sorry. You weren't ready, huh?"
"N-No..." I took it and you pulled me up.
"Well then, I'll warn you right now. In a real game, your opponent isn't going to wait for you."
That confused me. "But you're not my―"
You bumped your knuckle on my shoulder, interrupting me. "I am now."
"Huh?!"
"From today onwards, I'm no longer your teacher. We're now equals."
"Equals...?"
Your smile only got wider. "So now, we're best friends and rivals!"
Rivals.
After chasing your back for so long, I never thought the day I'd be running beside you would come so fast. When you left, you declared that you'll be training hard at home so that you wouldn't be beaten so easily. I was so caught up by your attitude that I ended up replying with the same thing.
The next week, we met up again and played like we always had. Although our strengths and weaknesses differ, we knew each other so well that we could easily keep up no matter what moves we tried to make. The same thing happened the week after, and the week after that, and the week after that.
I was proud of my progress. So much that I finally gained the courage to do what I've been wanting to do since I started playing.
I told you about how I planned to join my school's team. You worried for me, not because you thought I couldn't make it in, but because you didn't want them to hurt me again. That made me happy, actually.
"It's fine. I'll just be there to play my own way. I don't care about what they think."
That was the full truth. I couldn't care less about what those people think or say about me. All that mattered to me were you and my brother.
"Hmm... Well, okay. If you say so." You said, smiling at me again. "In that case, good luck! Tell me all about it next week!"
Back then, I thought... If I was going to tell you about it, I want to be able to say that I won and got in. I want to be able to say that everything you did to teach me was worthwhile. I want to be able to show you how cool I can be without relying on anyone.
I promised you that I'll make it no matter what.
Although, I was actually disappointed when I was put on the field.
Why is the team so weak?
I remember thinking that while scoring my second goal against them. The spar ended there and two others got put on the second team while I got into the first.
The captain and coach complimented me, saying I was good. So good that it's abnormal.
When they asked me where I learned to play, I told them that I didn't want to answer that question. I thought that if I did, they'd try to look for you and ask you to teach them too. I didn't want that. But I also didn't understand why I had such a selfish thought.
When I told you about it, your smile got infinite-times bigger.
Mission accomplished.
~~~~~
On my eleventh birthday, you threw a surprise party for me. Everyone who mattered in my life was there. You, my parents, and my brother. It's been a while since we've all been together.
Mom and dad were getting busier, and my brother can't leave the hospital too often. You had also started visiting the town less and less with your family taking you out of town every so often.
I remember you said you wanted to make up for it, so you pressed them to let you stay over. So I was happy when we could continue talking...
And then you decided to steal my bed.
"So soft!" You face-planted on my pillow. "Maybe I should start staying over more often!"
Not that I'd mind that, but... "Can you not rub your face on my pillow like some kind of house pet?"
"No!" You stuck your tongue out and continued to do exactly that.
"I'll lift you off and drop you to the floor."
"That won't make me let go of the pillow."
"You're like a leech, you know that?"
"But you haven't thrown me out, so who's really to blame here?"
"You little...!"
Somewhere along the way, our friendship took a turn. We started talking with harsh words and gestures. Maybe it was because we started calling ourselves 'rivals'.
Whatever the reason, neither of us had ever felt insulted if they came from us alone.
In a way, it felt nice.
Because it felt like we had nothing to hide.
"Sometimes I wonder how you can be so happy all the time." I muttered to you while I was tucking myself in the futon.
You laughed in response. "Hey, it's not all the time. I have my fair share of life problems too."
"Oh really?"
"Why don't you believe me?" You rolled to your side and dangled your arm down, slapping me with the back of your palm. "No one can be 100% happy all the time!"
"Then how come I never see you upset?" I wasn't jabbing at you anymore. That was a genuine question. Back then, I can't imagine you ever having a sad face.
"Because I never feel upset around you."
"Huh?"
You lifted your hand back up, showing me your smile again. "I always have fun when I'm with you. It doesn't even have to be soccer, just us talking like this makes me happy. I feel like all the negative things I have just disappear whenever I see you."
... What???
"It's just the feeling that I get. I can't explain it very well, but it's like you're... you are my happiness...? Something like that."
Really, of all the stupid things that ever came out of your mouth...
I remember my body suddenly moving on its own, turning away from you with my arms over my ears.
"... Gross."
"Wha...?!" I heard you jumped up at my comment. "That's mean, Kyou! Here I was sharing my honest feelings with you, and you go and say that...!"
Honestly, I had no idea why I said that either.
Then, I heard you laugh. "Though, I guess it's not like me to say stuff like that, huh? I get it, I get it. I won't do it ever again if you find it creepy."
No, I actually don't... It just happened so suddenly that I didn't know how to react... And you did it really casually too? How the fuck???
I heard the sheets crumpling and you muttering a "Good night" through a yawn. You were probably laying back down. I wanted to turn back to you and talk to you more, but my body wouldn't move.
"Sorry." In the end, that was all I could say.
You hummed in question before saying, "What are you apologizing for? This is normal for us."
I didn't reply.
You didn't press.
In just a couple of minutes, I could just barely hear your soft snoring. Its sound was beaten by a loud thumping coming from inside me. I felt like I was reliving the five years since I met you in an instant.
"This is normal for us."
Maybe the conversation was, but this feeling wasn't. This was new, this was...
Don't tell me...
I remember how I immediately became almost too aware of my own body. I slipped out and headed for the bathroom. The second I turned on the lights, I saw myself in the mirror.
My very, very red self.
"Oh no..."
At that moment, I understood why I wanted to talk to you so badly. I understood why it hurt to push you away. I understood why I wanted to look cool in front of you. I understood why I felt everything I did in the five years that I've known you.
I couldn't say it out loud. I couldn't even think of the word without getting too embarrassed half way.
But I could say one thing.
"You are my happiness."
~~~~~~~~~~
So with this, we see how Kyousuke first realized how he felt <3
I tried using First Person's POV for this chapter for absolutely no reason other than I thought it was fun. I think it turned out pretty well too!
Like I said in the Galaxy Finale, I wanted to ask again which are your favorite SIDEs and Intervals and why? I'm genuinely curious on what you all think of them!
Next week, we start the Aftermath Arc. Look forward to it!