The sound of the bell rang throughout the school building. In response, most of the students in Tenma's classroom instantly closed their textbooks and went to grab their lunch boxes.
"Don't forget your homework tomorrow!" The teacher said one final time before she gathered her belongings and walked out of the class.
Tenma let out a sigh and leaned back on his seat. "Finally, I thought it'd never ring."
"The break is only for thirty minutes, Tenma." Aoi reminded as she stood up and walked towards him. "If you want to buy something in the canteen, you better hurry up."
"I think I'll pass. I don't think I will get out of that crazy mob of students alive today." Tenma stated before he pulled out a blue lunch box from his bag and showed it to Aoi. "Besides, Aki-nee packed me lunch earlier."
"Really?" Kariya sauntered over and stared at the box. "What is it?"
"Hm, let's see..." Tenma carefully opened the lid slightly and took a peek at what was inside before his eyes lit up and a smile emerged on his face. "It's my karaage bento, my favourite!"
"Ooh, nice!" Shinsuke cried out. The boy mimicked Tenma and took a peek at his lunch box as well. "I got...chicken meatballs!"
"We're both eating our favourite lunches, Shinsuke!" Tenma grinned, raising his hand for a high-five.
Shinsuke nodded and returned the gesture. "Yeah, cheers!"
The other two friends, along with Hikaru and Tsurugi who just walked over, sweat-dropped at the duo.
"Are you two in elementary school or something?" Aoi shook her head in embarrassment at her friends' antics, earning a laugh from the two boys.
"What about you guys? Do you want to buy something?" Tenma asked the rest of his friends.
Hikaru shook his head. "No, I brought my own lunch today."
"Same here." Tsurugi said, showing them his lunchbox.
"Alright, then!" Tenma smiled before he quickly got up from his seat and snatched his lunch box with his right hand. "Come on, let's go to the roof!" The brunet said before he walked ahead of his friends, gesturing them to come along.
The first-years smiled at Tenma before all of them followed not far behind.
"Is this good, Tsurugi?" Aoi whispered to Tsurugi, both of them walking behind the group.
Tsurugi glanced at Tenma's smiling face as the boy chatted with Hikaru and smiled. "Yeah. This is a good start."
A relieved smile graced Aoi's face at that. "Alright. Then, let's keep this up."
-
"Oh yeah, Kariya." Tenma said just as he took another bite of his lunch. "About your video game..."
Shinsuke raised an eyebrow. "Video game?"
"Yeah." Hikaru nodded. "He bought one the day before the match." The purple-haired teenager took a sip from his water bottle before he turned to Kariya and asked, "Have you played it yet?"
Kariya let out a flustered groan. "No! When I was about to log in, the electricity just had to go out!" He hastily took a bite of his lunch and munched on it before adding, "Eet ded't come bek on-"
"Swallow."
Kariya frowned at the navy-haired striker and grumbled under his breath about something that none of them could make out before doing what he was told. "It didn't come back on until about ten. And, I was already asleep."
Aoi snickered. "How tragic."
Kariya's cheeks turned slightly red and the boy quickly turned his head away. "S-Shut up! I was looking forward to that game!"
"What is it about, anyway?" Tenma asked with a nonplussed expression.
Simultaneously, Kariya's eyes lit up at the change of subject and the teal-haired teenager grinned. "You'll love it, Tenma! It's about people killing each other, but instead of bullets, they use soccer balls!"
Tenma and Shinsuke automatically imagined the video game with Kariya's description before both of them shuddered.
"And, what would I love about that?" Tenma asked incredulously.
"I told you, the soccer balls! You love soccer, don't you?" Kariya emphasized.
"Yes, but not when they're used as bullets!"
"And it doesn't change the fact that it sounds scary!" Shinsuke cried out as he tugged onto his blue headband in fear.
Kariya laughed at their reactions before shaking his hand dismissively. "No, they're not actually playing soccer. They just use tiny soccer balls as bullets, that's all."
Tenma stared at Kariya with a bewildered look before saying, "How's that supposed to help?"
Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle. "I said the same thing."
Aoi brought a hand towards her chin and tried to imagine the video game herself. "I can't imagine a tiny soccer ball as a bullet, though."
"Think of it as the size of your phone chains, Aoi." Kariya pointed out. The defender had once seen what the girl kept in her school bag, which made him spend the rest of the day wondering where the hell she had bought a mini Gouenji - and it actually looked pretty accurate!
Not that he wanted it for himself; but it would've been some good blackmail material for a certain Tsurugi - since he's practically a die-hard fan of the guy (not that Kariya believed the striker would ever admit that).
Comprehension washed over the girl instantly. "Ah, now I see."
"But why soccer balls, though?" Shinsuke spoke up. "Last I checked; soccer couldn't kill."
"The force of the gun makes the soccer ball as fast as a real bullet. It's close to the speed of sound, or at least that's what I think." Hikaru explained to the small defender. "And, the creators just wanted to try something new."
"Sound's much faster than a bullet?" Tenma questioned.
"Yeah." Tsurugi replied after swallowing his food. "It's the fastest thing in the world."
"That's cool!" Shinsuke beamed, his eyes lighting up in excitement. "Is there anything faster than sound?"
Simultaneously, an answer appeared inside Aoi's mind and the girl slowly smirked. "Yeah. Kariya's scream whenever he sees something scary."
Said boy abruptly choked on his food and let out a few coughs before he sent Aoi an offended look. "Hey, I am not scared of anything!"
"Oh, really?" Tenma teased knowingly.
"Yeah, I am a fearless type of man." Kariya nodded, crossing his arms.
"I see." Tenma said with a mischievous glint in his eyes. The brunet had a sudden urge to make his friend prove what he just said, and his brain offered him an idea in response. So, the captain nudged his friend beside him and quietly whispered, "Hear me out, Tsurugi."
If Tsurugi was surprised at Tenma's sudden request (and you can bet that he was), he didn't show it. Instead, the striker nodded and listened as Tenma quickly explained slash whispered his idea. At the end of it, the striker had a tough time hiding his smile. "Alright."
Then, Tsurugi silently placed a hand on Kariya's shoulder - who was, conveniently, sitting beside him - and acted according to Tenma's idea as he let out his best intimidating aura yet. "Is that so, Kariya Masaki?" Tsurugi whispered, his golden eyes shining bright due to the dark aura around them.
Instantly, Kariya felt a shiver down his spine and he slowly turned around at the person behind him. The second his eyes caught the sight of a terrifying Tsurugi, his face went ghostly pale and a very girly scream made its way out of Kariya's throat. "EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!"
All of the teenagers outright laughed at the scene, with most of them doubling over while holding their stomachs. "You're right, Aoi!" Shinsuke gasped out between laughs. "Kariya's scream is faster than sound!"
Hearing the statement, Hikaru laughed even more. "Technically, his scream is sound, Shinsuke-kun!"
But, their laughter was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a ringing bell from the school building. "Oh no, the bell!" Tenma cried out and looked back at his half empty lunch box. "Guys, help me finish this!"
"With pleasure." Shinsuke was at Tenma's side in an instant and started to literally inhale Tenma's food.
"AH! Don't suck it all up, Shinsuke! What are you, a vacuum?!"
-
Meanwhile, Shindou, Kirino and Sangoku were walking down the hallway. The three of them had already finished eating their lunch, and were now returing to their own separate classes.
"Shindou, what should we do?" Kirino asked his friend with a slightly grim face. "I know I've asked this more than once, but eventually we have to do something."
Shindou didn't need to be told of what Kirino was implying. "I know. But, we have to be patient. We want Tenma to be comfortable with us first. After that, we can move."
"But we don't have much time." Sangoku pointed out behind them.
"Tenma comes first." Shindou responded without hesitation. The ex-captain gave Sangoku a sideway glance and smiled. "He's the one we're trying to save, after all."
"He's right." All three students halted and turned around at the new voice in their conversation as they saw a blue-haired boy sauntering over to them.
"Kurama." Kirino mumbled, recognizing the teenager.
"Besides, that man's far away from Tenma right now." Kurama added, his eyes visually darkening at the mention of that person. "We don't need to rush. If we do, we'll make the same mistake again."
All of them winced as the memory of what happened inside the clubroom appeared inside their minds. "You're right." Sangoku agreed, not wanting to do or witness it ever again.
Kurama nodded, placing his hands behind his head in a somewhat relaxed manner. "Even so, forgiving is like second nature to Tenma."
"What do you mean?" Shindou asked; his face puzzled.
"Well he easily forgave Tsurugi, who literally beat him up the first time they met." Kurama replied, casting a glance at Shindou before stating further, "Then he forgave Shindou, who had gone rough on him even though he was a first year and a newbie."
Shindou instantly recalled how he treated Tenma when he'd joined the soccer club and pursed his lips in guilt. He was really frustrated at the time, yet he took it all out on the innocent Tenma.
Kurama noticed his friend's reaction to his statement but merely proceeded. "And...he forgave me, the one who'd been badmouthing him ever since day one." The teenager muttered as he lowered his head, his bangs covering his downcast eyes.
"Kurama, Shindou..." Both Kirino and Sangoku's eyes softened in sympathy at the two boys, while also understanding themselves. They were one of the ones who treated Tenma badly too, after all.
At that moment, Kurama broke out of his daze and quickly shook his head. "Anyway, I'm not saying what we did was tolerable. No, it's far from that. I'm saying that he's generally not a bad guy." Kurama gave them a light shrug before adding, "He was patient with us, and we should be patient with him."
Kirino couldn't help but scoff at that. "Oh, we're patient alright. That kid's really a handful."
The rest of the teenagers chuckled, lightening the sour mood around them. "I can't argue with that." Sangoku said just as his smile turned a bit fond. "But, aren't we all?"
Shindou couldn't help but smirk. "Like captain, like team I guess."
"So, what do you suggest we do?" Kirino questioned again. "We need to earn Tenma's trust before anything else."
"I've got that covered." Shindou replied, pulling out a small notebook from his left pocket and handing it to Kirino, who wore a confused expression before he took it.
"A notebook?" Sangoku arched his eyebrows.
Shindou nodded. "Yeah, read it."
Both Kurama and Sangoku peered over Kirino's shoulder as the pink-haired teenager opened the notebook and examined it.
"How to make Tenma trust us again"
(Source: inazumahow)
1. Think about the situation.
Why are you fighting? This is an important first step—your apology will seem pointless if you can't explain what you are apologizing for, and may lead to making the fight worse (we've already done that. Check).
2. Talk to him.
Tell him how you feel about what happened. Tell him that you want to be friends again, and point out certain things that you miss about them. If necessary show your emotions by crying or hugging (double check).
Even under the worst of circumstances an honest face-to-face conversation may be all that is needed to reestablish a bond (triple check).
3. Take the initiative.
Be open about wanting to fix your friendship. Friends should not play (mind) games with each other. If you truly love this person and want them to stay your friend, be open about your feelings towards them.
Say you are sorry (checky checky check). You have to mean it however; the person will be able to tell if you're being sincere or not. It's the best word to use to explain your feelings. Leave it as a message on his answering machine if he has not answered your phone calls.
4. Be calm and open to what your friend is saying.
Getting defensive will cause your friend to do the same, which will make it hard for the two of you to work things out (oh, has Tsurugi done that alright).
5. Create an open discussion.
When possible, and if the other friend agrees, try to sit down for coffee or something with them and talk things out (or just go and play soccer). Wait at least three days to do this because the person will probably still be upset if earlier. It really depends though on how intense the fight was. When your friend speaks, listen.
Speak quietly and from the heart. Allow them to feel the pain that you feel, and the loneliness you Tenma have endured since the break up of the friendship.
Explain how much you value and miss your friendship, and that you would like to speak to them in person.
Crack a joke. Friends love jokes (I don't know if Tenma loves it, but I think he does). Life's not a whole lot without your good friend there (babbling about soccer to no end). When the tension starts to ease, and you get details out of the way, lighten the mood. Be careful though. Do not make a joke referring to the fight...ever. (If you do, I'll kill you)
6. Step into their shoes.
Try to sit back and see another perspective besides your own. This is a situation where one needs to think critically. It's not simple to try to understand other people. Think about recent events that have gone on in your friend's life. Try to understand the reason that your relationship got to such a heated level.
Part of gaining understanding of another person's perspective may involve speaking to mutual friends or family members of that person. Be careful though, because a mutual friend (or a very overprotective butler) can be dangerous to talk to.
7. Learn from what happened.
Never regret it, because in life you learn and grow stronger from mistakes you have made and problems you have gone through.
8. Show him that you are sorry.
This goes beyond the conversation that the two of you have. Whether or not they choose to forgive you, show your friend that you did not want to hurt him, and that you truly regret whatever you did. Go out of your way to put their needs in front of yours until you feel that things are on the mend.
9. Gradually repair your friendship.
Start talking to them more and more; don't go for the whole thing at once.
- Shindou Takuto
The three friends sweat-dropped to both how detailed Shindou's list was and the hilarious comments here and there. "Uh...wow, Shindou." Kirino mumbled, not knowing what to say. "Y-You really went all out on this one."
Shindou didn't pick up the hidden message and merely smiled, obviously proud of his list. "Yeah, I looked up a few sites in the web yesterday. Some of them had the same content and some don't. But, I got the main gist of it."
"You didn't need to write down every single word though, Shindou." Sangoku noted.
Kurama nodded beside him. "Yeah, 'gist' doesn't mean 'without exception'."
Shindou just gave them a shrug. "I thought you guys needed to know. I'll show this to the others later."
Kirino reviewed the list one last time and quickly memorized it all in his head before giving it back to his friend. "So, Shindou. When we do make a move, what will we do first?"
"Research." Shindou replied immediately, accepting the notebook back. "We need information to why that man treated Tenma like that."
Simultaneously, Kurama balled his fists and his eyes narrowed dangerously at the mention of that man again. "I swear, if the reason's not logical at all, I'm going to beat. Him. Up."
"What if it's logical?" Kirino asked, though he highly doubted it.
"I'd still beat him up."
Sangoku placed a hand on his junior's shoulder and nodded with a similar dark expression. "The feeling's mutual."
"I'll ask Hayami later to search the Internet for any kind of lead." Shindou continued. "The family tree, the history, anything that can be useful."
"When Tenma trusts us again, maybe we should try asking him." Kirino suggested.
"Be gentle, though, and take it slow." Sangoku advised him. "This isn't something he'd like to talk about."
Kirino nodded with a frown. "I know. I don't want to force him."
"We'll think of something." Shindou reassured his friends. "It'll work out in the end."
Kurama couldn't help but smirk at the familiar saying. "You say that sentence a lot nowadays."
Shindou, now realizing what he just said, let out a fond chuckle and simply answered, "What can I say? Tenma's motto has rubbed off on all of us."