Saturday morning was quite calm, even by Inazuma Town standards.
When I went to the Riverbank Pitch, not a single prominent sound could be heard. There was just the faint background noise, which was of distant cars and slightly rustling trees. Not even the birds seemed to sing that morning, as if they had been sleeping for far too long, not minding the fact that the Sun is already out. It reminded me of Kiba, when we were much younger.
While I had just bought Raimon's school uniform the day prior, I lacked the Raimon Kit. Of course, since Endou had the grand idea of making it a prize after having the whole team see me. "You can't be a true member of the team," he said. "Until the other members get to know you!" Naïve, and a little troublesome, but it was understandable.
What I had instead was Kiba's old Sakurazaki uniform, featuring the old colours and design of the school team. A red shirt with a white collar and accents of the same colour, nicely paired with white shorts that sported a thick black line on both sides. On the back was the number 19 in white, the number which Kiba used after surrendering his striker position the year before. He said that while he was no longer to be an Ace, the numbers represented his new nature as a support to the two Striker numbers—10 and 9, which were worn by his best friends—and that was significant in itself. Those were the days when the Sakurazaki uniform was a tad lighter, incredibly different from the recent uniform's emphasis on black and red.
I carried an old soccer ball with me, one of the few things that my Uncle Kaito got from the family mansion in order to make my temporary home a lot more comfortable. I couldn't remember when I first got it, but the ball was witness to my first Hissatsu.
My Hissatsu.
A sour flavour filled my mouth at the thought, as the sweet memory quickly turned into a bitter one, reminding me of that grey-haired stranger. He still managed to send chills down my spine whenever I thought about his cryptic statements, giving me a sense of disgust each time something reminiscent of the encounter turns up.
Luckily, I heard the voice of the Goalkeeper in the distance. It was about time. Otherwise, I would have went for a short trip to the business district. And knowing myself, I would likely lose my sense of time while window shopping. It was my way of distracting myself from unsavoury thoughts.
"Oi! Kurogane-san!"
The jovial Captain jogged towards me, and lagging behind him were a number of young males, all wearing a uniform that had a bright mixture of blue and yellow. A young woman also followed them, wearing an orange tracksuit. I noticed the lack of Gouenji's presence, and I was slightly saddened—I wanted to see what he could do close-up.
Once the whole squad gathered by the centre circle, Endou introduced me. "Kurogane Suabara, a new midfielder! He's the new player I've been talking about, a student that just transferred here."
His cheery tone was quickly antagonised by a gruff voice, "So, just like that Gouenji guy? Will he leave after one match?" I turned to the voice's owner, and I was met with a figure that was just as tall as I was. He had awkward-looking pink hair that was cut very short, and an intimidating face with a prominently firm jaw. He looked at me as if he was ready to punch me. I couldn't properly identify his position from one look at him, though his aggressive behaviour may point towards an Attacking Midfielder or Striker.
Quickly coming to cool him off was a player with medium-length brown hair. His look was forgettable to be honest, for he had a completely average look about him. Judging from his physique, he is likely a Midfielder. He seemed to have at least some semblance of a good connection with the pink-haired player, maybe they are classmates and neighbours as well.
"I fully intend on helping this team reach the finals of the Football Frontier," I firmly stated before Endou could answer for me, and the Goalkeeper simply smiled as he heard my answer. "Leaving the team so early would quickly evanesce whatever chance Raimon has."
Endou then jumped in, adjusting his gloves as he spoke. "I believe in what he says. Besides, just like the rest of us, he has this!" He slammed his fist onto his chest—with enough force to probably make anyone else except burly Goalkeepers and pain-resistant brick-heads curl up in pain—and continued, "A fire in here! And to prove it to the rest of you, I'll be making him join us in practice. Nothing will show a passion for soccer more than an actual show of soccer!"
It didn't take too long for the team to split up. I was on the Offence Team, along with the pink-haired player from a while ago, a weird player with a pink hat and an afro-haired individual. The Defence Team was a mixture of players, with four Defenders and two Midfielders protecting the Goalkeeper. While we were outnumbered, the confident look on the player with the hat reassured me—perhaps he is more skilled than he initially lets on.
Pink Hair quickly passed the ball to Hat Head, and he wasted no time—he made a backwards pass, and I took control of the ball.
Invigorated by the touch of the ball, I surged forwards, and I was soon met with the two midfielders. While I could not do some fancy airborne tricks that I was taught to do when I was younger, I still had greater general control. It took a simple feint to slip through in between them.
It was to be noted though, that while I snuck between them, Mister Average saw where I was going to go. I was just too fast, and he was simply too slow. On the other hand, his partner didn't manage to see clearly where I was heading, but managed to make a preemptive step that forced me to make a quick adjustment in my path. Evidently, the step only affected me a little, though the sight of some promise in the Midfielders was refreshing. Bodily coordination was something to improve on, though the basics were there.
Before heading to the Defenders, I stopped and planted my foot hard on the ball. Afro Kid was just behind us the entire time, not sure of where he should position himself. He was unmarked, but he could not even be part of the play from such a distance. I waved at him, and he pulled off from an awkward position on the edge of the field—which, if I passed to, would likely lead to a Throw In.
"Kurogane-senpai?"
I then released my foot from the ball, then whispered in his ear. Unlike the midfielders, the Defenders and Endou would likely be less easy to get past. They would have some sort of defensive skill. Proper positioning and coordination would be needed to criss-cross the way to goal.
He nodded at my remarks, and I moved upfield, albeit now focusing more on the centre than my usual side of the pitch.
Pink Hair was in front of a blue-haired Defender, while Hat Head found himself in between an extremely large Defender and one with similar height-deficiency issues to the Midfielder. I had the creepy presence of a long-haired individual behind me, his breathing very similar to whispering. It was not easy to keep my composure with him so close. And so I had dubbed him Ghost Boy.
Afro Kid ran upfield, and the first to come to him was Chestnut, the short Defender that had been marking Hat Head earlier. I moved down the field at once, leaving me momentarily open. That was when I received the pass from him. This urged Ghost Boy and Chestnut to try and steal the ball from me, but Afro Kid was left open. One lob pass was all that was needed—another one followed to Pink Hair, them finally to Hat Head.
Hat Head was in front of the goal, and his body movements—the stretching of his arms, positioning of his torso, and more— suggested that he would shoot right at Endou. The Goalkeeper did not jump without seeing the shot first, but I could identify that his form was in preparation for a shot towards the upper right corner of the goal, where Hat Head would likely lodge the ball into.
Sure enough, Hat Head attempted to shoot. It was not a straight line towards the goal, but it did go towards the farther zones. Endou leaped to counter it, but only barely repelled the attempt. The considerable power behind the shot made it difficult to stop with only the furthest extensions of the hands. In fact, the ball hit his palms and promptly bounced to Pink Head, who had barged into the penalty box.
I smiled with satisfaction once I saw Pink Head's quick shot, one that had even more power than Hat Head. He was second to Endou when it came to raw kicking power, which gave me an idea on how he could be utilised better on the team. A formidable goal poacher. His weakness with dribbling and control could be easily remedied by skilful passing.
"And goal!" Without thinking, I raised my right arm to my chest, placing my clenched fist before my heart. It was only after a few moments that I realised that I had not done the act in so long. It was once my older brother's signature victory pose, who in turn acquired it after watching a lot of the Golden Age players do similar.
Endou wiped his brow as he inspected the ball that had gotten past him. I imagined him to be assessing how the ball had gotten past him. Perhaps the next time, such a tactic would not work again. His weakness was quite obvious, but targeting the extremities of the goal and using indirect tactics all the time would make their effectivity wan greatly over time.
Afro Kid ran up to me and made a formal bow, which I dismissed with a flustered wave of my hand. He spoke words of gratitude with a nervous stammer, so I interrupted him. "No need to thank me for it. We're on the same side. It's natural for me to look for ways to help us score a goal and make use of every person on the field. That's what the offence is for, no?"
He nodded, and then gave me his name. Shishido Sakichi. Raimon Number Eight. Midfielder.
Endou then ran up to me, and so did the young girl that had joined the entire team on the way to the Pitch. In her arms were bright blue and yellow, folded neatly and lacking in creases.
"Sugoii ne! You surely outdid our expectations for you, Kurogane-san! I didn't expect you to be such a great passer!" Endou enthusiastically yelled at my face, his presence overpowering the green-haired lass beside him. "I kind of thought you'd be a striker, not an attacking midfielder!"
"While I definitely can do some shots, it's not my trade. I'm more inclined to the midfield, though I've always favoured the more high-speed tactics and crosses of wingers than traditional midfielders. I reckon I can even play in the centre, but I find too much congestion there for me to move around. Keep me on the sides, and I'll make sure that the wings are never going to be in danger."
"That's good to hear! Just leave me to protect the goal while you bridge the defence and offence."
We got so carried away that we began to talk about different tactics to be used, since I was by specialty, a winger. That fact changed the standard formation of Raimon from the last match, and opened up more avenues. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before a Wing-Back or Libero would join the team.
"Sorry to interrupt you two," said the young woman who had been smiling at the side the entire time. "Kurogane-san, here is your Raimon uniform. When I saw the number on your shirt a while ago, I made sure that the number I would be giving you would be the same."
I carefully took the uniform off her hands, and I felt a wave of nostalgia as I remembered a similar event. "Ah, that was so many years ago," I blurted out.
None of them seemed to mind my sudden statement, and Endou left the conversation to help out the team. They were trying to strengthen their individual skills now, by dribbling balls and blocking one another. All the while, Endou was shouting helpful comments, like "Keep your eyes open", and "Anticipate your opponent's movements". They seemed more spirited now than when they were on the field some time ago, even if they are a little sour about their "White Knight" leaving so soon.
"If you don't mind me asking, what made you join Raimon's team?"
I snapped my head back to the green-haired lady and replied, "I saw potential. During your match against Teikoku, I barely saw any skill, coordination, and confidence. There was a revolting lack of it. However, I did see Endou. The Captain is, to say the least, one of the most motivating people I have ever met. His enthusiasm is contagious, and as you can see, he makes the team give their 101 percent."
"Well, that's Endou for you." She spoke of him fondly, and seemed to be quite entertained by the brunet Goalkeeper's antics. "Even when nobody would join our team, he kept the same enthusiasm. I don't know where he gets it from, and I wish I knew where, but it's the reason why we're here now."
"On the way to the Football Frontier?" I playfully asked.
"Maybe on the way to lifting the trophy," she jokingly replied. However, I could hear the hope in her voice. Well, "hope" does not have a particular sound. But it was evident that even though she was joking, part of her believed it. Perhaps it was the effect of Endou's confidence. Perhaps she was anticipating the return of the Kidokawa Ace.
"I like that idealism. Dreams are free, but I might decide to make it into a reality, Miss..."
"Kino Aki."
"Miss Kino. I look forward to being an asset to the team."
"Oi, Kurogane-san! Could you help me out a little here?"
In the distance was Endou, who was apparently trying to get the strikers aim cleanly for the top corners of the net. The power was there, but the precision was lacking. The shots were also not particularly skilful shots either. I shrugged at Kino and laughed a bit, before jogging towards where I was needed.
"Hai, Captain!"