❝ Well, you're welcome but I'm not your wife.❞
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Chapter 29
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As the morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room, you rose from the comfort of your bed, feeling the warmth of the sun kissing your bare skin. With a sigh, you stepped towards the door, your hand reaching out to grasp the handle before gently pushing it open.
As soon as you walked into the dining room, you were greeted by the familiar hum of discussion, which mingled with the smells of freshly brewed coffee and bacon that was sizzling.
You were greeted with smiles and nods from people whose faces you have become familiar with over the course of time as you made your way through the room with a nonchalant look.
On the other hand, in the midst of the bustling conversation and the sound of utensils clinking on plates, there was one table that stuck out. It was noticeably vacant in comparison to the number of chairs that were full. It appeared to be out of place, like a piece of a puzzle that was missing from a picture that was otherwise complete.
Taking a seat at the table that was empty, you leaned back against the chair, letting out a gentle sigh as you closed your eyes and immersed yourself in a moment of calm reflection. Even though you were surrounded by the sounds of discussion, your mind continued to wander aimlessly, as if it were drowning in a sea of thoughts and reflections.
You allowed yourself to drift into the depths of your own thoughts while your arms were folded beneath your head and you stared blankly ahead.
The world around you faded into the background as you allowed yourself to become immersed in your own thoughts. You were able to find a sense of serenity in that small time of seclusion, which was a brief break from the craziness of everyday life.
"May we join you?" Kidou's voice interrupted your thoughts as you glanced up to see him and Goenji approaching.
In your opinion, the fact that they are there at this early hour does not bother you at all, since you just couldn't; actually, there is no reason behind it.
You nodded, indifferent to their presence.
"Are you not going to eat?" Goenji's voice broke through the quiet, drawing attention to your untouched tray. With a shake of your head, you silently declined.
Just as you began to drift back into drowsiness, a tray was abruptly deposited in front of you, jolting you back to alertness. You glanced up, expecting to see who it was, only to be met with the intense glare of Haizaki. His eyes brimmed with animosity, as if harboring a deep-seated hatred towards you.
"Eat that or else," Haizaki's voice sliced through the air, his gaze piercing into you with a venomous intensity that sent shivers down your spine. It was as though he harbored a deep-seated hatred towards you, his eyes ablaze with contempt.
Though the urge to retaliate surged within you, a lack of strength coupled with the exhaustion of the early hour held you back. You weren't one to rise with the dawn; mornings were always a struggle for you.
In short, you aren't a morning person.
Kidou and Goenji observed the tense exchange, witnessing as you begrudgingly grasped your fork, its metal tines resembling daggers as you stabbed at the egg on your plate with an almost violent fervor, as if each puncture was an act of vengeance.
Your silence seemed to only stoke the flames of Haizaki's irritation, poised to unleash a torrent of reprimands. However, before he could unleash his fury upon you, a sudden presence sidled up beside you, diverting your attention. With a spoon still lingering in your mouth, you turned to find Haizaki and Fudou standing there, their eyes crackling with an electric intensity that sent a shiver down your spine.
"What are you doing?" Haizaki's voice snapped, "nothing." Fudou smirked as you remained unfazed, continuing to eat in defiance of his protests.
As you munched on your food, you reached for your glass of water, only to encounter something unexpected. Instead of the usual smooth surface, your fingers brushed against something soft yet firm. With a casual remark of "oh, it's a hand," you glanced at Kidou, who watched in amusement, while Goenji looked on, speechless at your nonchalant reaction.
As practice commenced, everyone donned their uniforms, preparing for the day's training. However, to the surprise of your teammates, but not to you, a distinguished guest made an unexpected appearance - none other than Clario Ovian, the Captain of Spain.
You recognized him immediately, not simply because of his role as the Spanish captain, but because his presence carried significant weight within the anime.
"Nice to meet you."
As the news of Clario Ovian's presence rippled through the team, reactions varied from surprise to awe. However, your demeanor remained stoic, mirroring the seriousness of the esteemed guest.
"I'd like you to have a little contest with Mr. Clario," the coach proposed, eliciting murmurs of confusion from the team.
"A contest? Now?" someone exclaimed incredulously.
"Wait a second, coach! There are eighteen of us here," another protested, attempting to point out the logistical challenge.
"Wow... Goujin, you forgot how to math."
"I don't mind," Clario responded calmly, his willingness to proceed catching everyone off guard. Amidst the surprised reactions, you couldn't help but silently curse the oversight, realizing that Goujin hadn't counted correctly.
"Eighteen, right?" Clario inquired, his gaze sweeping over the team before settling on you.
A sigh escaped your lips as you contemplated the possibility of feigning illness to avoid the impending challenge. However, before you could entertain the idea further, Zhao Jinyun interjected, "Oh, yes, eighteen, because you're competing, Kamui-chan, alone."
Fudou shot Zhao Jinyun a baffled look, his expression clearly conveying a sense of disbelief, while you regarded the coach with an internal eye-roll, envisioning a mushroom sprouting from his head in place of a rational thought.
As the realization sank in, you couldn't help but reflect on your own lack of soccer prowess and athleticism. Why, out of all the team members, were you being thrust into a one-on-one challenge against an international player like Clario Ovian? The answer was simple: coercion.
Your teammates stared at you in disbelief, their expressions a mix of admiration for your strength and concern for your daunting task. Standing off to the side, you met Clario's gaze with a blank stare, the weight of the impending challenge settling heavily upon you.
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After just a few moments of intense anticipation, eighteen players stood helpless as Spain's formidable captain effortlessly found the back of the net. Not even Endou, renowned for his impeccable goalkeeping skills, could thwart the ball's path as Clarion unleashed his devastating hissatsu technique, "Diamond Ray."
Clarion's dominance on the field was undeniable, his skills leaving opponents battered and defeated in his wake.
Now, it was your turn to face his formidable challenge. With determined strides, Clarion approached you, his gaze piercing as he said, "Nozomi-san, I presume you are prepared and aware that you are next in line for this match?"
With weary eyes, you gaze at Clarion, uncertainty clouding your thoughts as you silently nod, steeling yourself for the challenge ahead. As you ready yourself, the spirited voices of your companions, Asuto and Endou, ring out, urging you on with their fervent encouragement.
In the midst of the commotion, your gaze locks onto a familiar figure, Nishikage. Startled by the unexpected eye contact, he registers your nod with surprise, his expression betraying his disbelief at your silent acknowledgment.
He didn't know what you meant by that.
Unbeknownst to Nishikage, your nod held a deeper significance-a silent acknowledgment of appreciation for the skill and dedication you witnessed during their earlier play. Thanks to his efforts, you had keenly observed the strength and speed displayed by their team in just a few fleeting moments.
Meanwhile, Hiroto stood with arms crossed, his focus unwavering as he observed his rival preparing for the challenge ahead.
Across the field, Fudou's brow furrowed with concern as he observed you, pondering the impact of your training sessions with the Teikoku players on your evolving gameplay.
A sly smirk danced across the god striker's lips, noting Fudou's evident unease with amusement.
In mere seconds, the world around you and Clarion fades into insignificance as both of you become wholly consumed by the singular objective at hand. For you, it's the pursuit of the goal, while for Clarion, it's the determination to emerge victorious and conclude the game triumphantly.
Memories flood Clarion's mind as he recalls the moment Zhao Jinyun proposed the one-on-one challenge against you.
Initially hesitant, he had reservations about facing someone whose playing style he had yet to witness firsthand. Moreover, being the sole female member of the team, there was a fleeting assumption of fragility and weakness. However, he quickly quelled these doubts, recognizing that judgment based on gender was unwarranted, especially considering your remarkable achievement of making it onto the Japan team.
With a hesitant nod, he reluctantly agreed to the solitary challenge against you.
"Why did you want me to challenge her?" Clarion inquired, his curiosity piqued.
"Oh~? I want to see her handling alone without a team when playing," Zhao Jinyun replied with a hint of intrigue in his tone.
Clarion vividly recalled every word Zhao Jinyun had spoken. Yet, he couldn't quite grasp the coach's motive behind wanting to witness you handle the game without the support of a team. The rationale behind such a request remained elusive, leaving Clarion puzzled as he contemplated the coach's intentions.
With a determined stride, he advanced, seizing the initiative by deftly snatching the ball from the center. His stride was powerful, purposeful, a testament to his prowess on the field.
As he surged forward with unwavering determination, a quick glance over his shoulder revealed your unmoving stance, a silent observer amidst the flurry of motion.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, the dynamic shifted. His attention momentarily diverted, he turned back to face the path ahead, only to find your gaze piercing through him, locking onto his very soul.
In that fleeting moment of distraction, you seized the opportunity with lightning speed, expertly dispossessing him of the ball and effortlessly guiding it to your feet.
"She's fast."
His widened eyes mirrored the spherical object now securely under your control, a silent testament to the sudden reversal of fortune.
"And flexible."
The field seemed to hold its breath, caught in the tension between your steely resolve and his disbelief, as the game unfolded in a single, mesmerizing sequence of events.
Meanwhile, Kazemaru's keen eyes remained fixed on your form, observing your movements with a sense of awe. It was undeniable that you had undergone a remarkable transformation in just a few training sessions, surpassing even the skills of the one who taught you.
He was well aware of your exceptional agility, a trait that had always set you apart on the field. However, despite your impressive progress, there was one aspect of your playing that still lagged behind-stamina.
While your endurance had undoubtedly improved thanks to the rigorous training regimen, it was evident that it couldn't quite measure up to the level of your gameplay. Kazemaru couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable strides you had made, yet he couldn't shake the nagging concern over your stamina, recognizing it as the final piece of the puzzle needed to truly elevate your performance to the next level.
While the enhancement of stamina has undoubtedly been beneficial, it pales in comparison to the intricacies of playing.
A stamina and overall skills should be balanced.
Excessive movement without commensurate strength utilization can lead to rapid energy depletion, leaving one exhausted despite deploying all their speed and strength.
Clarion decided to make a comeback and followed you behind, making sure he followed you right on time and with that he still the ball from your grasp by using his huge body to block you and use this opportunity to steal the ball.
"His taking advantage of how big he is." You think before running beside him and trying to take the ball.
With intense focus, your gaze darted from left to right, anticipating Clarion's next move. As you slid to the right, Clarion deftly shifted to the left, keeping the game neck and neck.
However, the equilibrium soon tilted in Clarion's favor as he unleashed a powerful kick with his right leg, causing you to stumble just as you were about to intercept the ball, leaving you grasping at thin air.
With determination fueling his every move, Clarion resolved to end the match decisively, channeling even more power into his signature technique, Diamond Ray. However, in a moment of miscalculation, you unwittingly attempted to intercept the ball once more, oblivious to the fact that Clarion had already unleashed his devastating hissatsu.
In an unforeseen convergence of raw strength and specialized technique, your misguided intervention inadvertently fused with Clarion's Diamond Ray. As the ball hurtled towards the goal with unprecedented force, a palpable tension hung in the air, the culmination of your combined efforts poised to alter the course of the game in an unprecedented manner.
A mistake.
Clarion intensified the force behind his Diamond Ray shot, amplifying its destructive potential. Yet, in a split-second realization of your mistake, you understood the gravity of the situation. Your eyes locked onto the trajectory of the ball, a critical error apparent in Clarion's calculated strike.
With fatigue weighing heavily upon you, you summoned your remaining strength, a fierce determination igniting within you. In a speed of light, Bergamo Regult witnessed your back turned towards him, your muscles coiling with latent power as you unleashed a thunderous kick, propelling the ball with unparalleled force.
A violent gust of wind erupted from the impact, whipping dust and debris into the air, forcing spectators to shield themselves.
In that moment, amidst the tumultuous atmosphere, Bergamo Regult witnessed a revelation. He found himself inexplicably drawn to you, his savior on the field, a fleeting glimpse of a deeper connection sparking within him as he watched you with newfound admiration.
That day, he saw his savior, his delusional self emerging as he beheld you as the love of his life.
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The match concluded swiftly, lasting a mere 10 minutes, as you ultimately succumbed to Clarion's superior prowess. Despite your valiant act of saving the stranger from Diamond Ray, your physical limitations became glaringly evident. Exhausted and depleted, both in stamina and strength-having already exerted yourself blocking the ball from the Spanish player-you found yourself unable to keep pace with Clarion's relentless onslaught. Compounding the challenge was the puzzling decision not to utilize your hissatsu technique, a deviation from your usual strategy that left you at a disadvantage.
As Mikado tenderly tended to your injured legs, your gaze wandered skyward, momentarily captivated by the graceful flight of birds overhead. Though relieved to find no broken bones, your legs bore the marks of match, bloodied and bruised.
In a moment of clarity, you realized that you had anticipated intercepting Clarion's shot, focusing intently on Nishikage's form for guidance. However, when the moment arrived, instinct took over, prompting you to block the shot with your legs instead of your arms.
While you remained focused on your own thoughts, Clarion's gaze remained fixed on you. Despite knowing the devastating potential of his hissatsu technique, he also recognized that the players on the field were not ordinary individuals-they were skilled athletes with their own hissatsu techniques. Thus, he had no problem about releasing his hissatsu.
However, when he witnessed the unexpected spark in the ball as you accidentally kicked it, a sense of realization dawned upon him. It was as if something extraordinary had been ignited in that moment.
With a surge of energy, the mass of the ball increased, propelling it at an even greater speed towards his teammates. Concern flickered across Clarion's face, his thoughts turning to the safety of his fellow players.
Yet, before he could fully process the situation, you materialized in front of the boy with lightning speed, intercepting the ball with a precise kick and redirecting its trajectory.
Uncertain whether to underestimate or overestimate her abilities, Clarion made a conscious decision to observe you closely before facing off against each other in a real match. As this notion drifted through his mind, his attention shifted to the rest of the team.
Addressing a particular individual first, he remarked, "I see you've raised your level a bit."
The response was curt, "What do you want?"
"I've developed an appreciation for Japan's soccer team," he replied, his gaze lingering on you before continuing, "And, I've picked up a few insights along the way."
Turning his back, Clarion contemplated the forthcoming match, fully aware of the potential challenges you posed despite acknowledging your undeniable skill.
"Let's go," he prompted Bergamo, but to his surprise, the boy was too awestruck to heed Clarion's call, instead striding towards you.
Meanwhile, a looming shadow caught your attention, followed by an unexpected declaration, "Thank you, my wife!"
Your response was one of bewildered blinking-did he just call you his wife? Indeed, he did.
Mikado froze in her seat, while another voice exclaimed, "WHAT?!" Goujin, acting swiftly, rushed to your side, adamantly rejecting the boy's claim.
A palpable tension hung in the air as a dark aura emanated from behind, signaling the collective disapproval from the surrounding individuals.
You were about to react, but Clarion swiftly intervened, gripping Bergamo's shoulder firmly. "Let's. Go," he reiterated, his tone leaving no room for argument. However, before he could say anything further, you interjected, your voice cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"Oh, 'wife,' huh? Well, I didn't realize rescuing you automatically conferred matrimonial status. Must've missed that clause in the hero handbook. Welcome to the club of strangers I've saved who suddenly think we're married."
You blurted out sarcastically, "Well, you're welcome though,"
Surprisingly, Bergamos didn't take offense; instead, he seemed to appreciate your wit.
Kidou raised an eyebrow at your remark, finding amusement in witnessing your sarcastic side.
Despite your injuries, you stood up with determination and bowed respectfully before making your way to Fubuki's side. Together, you both gazed up at the fluffy clouds, lost in thought.
Fubuki couldn't help but be charmed by your earlier display of sarcasm and your subsequent contemplative demeanor as you watched the clouds drift lazily across the sky.
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Cut-Scene
"Fubuki-san."
"Hm?"
"Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"What shape was that?" you asked, pointing to one of the clouds that you had likely seen countless times before.
Curiously, he followed your gaze and found that the cloud bore a striking resemblance to you. It was odd, he thought, almost as if the cloud wasn't a cloud at all, but rather an image of you.
"It's a pretty cloud, but I can't quite make out the shape," he remarked, puzzled by the uncanny resemblance.
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Details
-Some characters may exhibit out-of-character traits due to the fanfic nature of the story.
-Fubuki didn't know more about you yet.
-My first time writing the detailed version of the match in this book<3
Do you wish to continue?
-Yes
-No