Mirai POV
Endou: We'll be waiting.... For the day you join the soccer club.
Coach Endou's words echoed in my head. I was the hospital again, but this time I was visiting some of the other patients. I often do it voluntarily.
Boy: "Ah, Onee-chan look out!"
"Hm?"
A soccer ball was flying towards me. Then I jumped up and stopped it.
Boys: "Whoa~"
I stopped the ball and then kicked it up and bounced it on my head a couple of times.
Boy: "Wow! Onee-chan you're really good!"
"Ahaha, you think?"
3rd POV
Tsurugi and his brother were under the tree talking until they heard a boy yell to look out. The two brothers turned. They watched as Mirai had stopped the ball.
Kyousuke: That's...
Mirai: "You should be careful with this."
Boys: "Okay!"
Girl: "Mirai-oneechan!"
Mirai: "Ah, hello again! What did you want to do today?"
Girl: "Let's make flower crowns!"
Mirai: "Sure!"
Old Women: "Oh, here to visit again, Mirai-chan?"
Mirai: "Obaa-san! I am, how are you doing?"
Old Women: "Oh, I'm doing great now that you're here! Your smile just brighten everyone around!"
Mirai: "Aw, that's nice of you to say! Well I'm glad you're doing well."
A bunch of kids started running to Mirai next.
Kids: "Mirai-oneechan!"
Mirai: "Ah! Are you all doing well?"
Kids: "Yeah!"
Girl: "Mirai-oneechan play with me first!"
Boy: "No play with us!"
Girl: "No us!"
Mirai: "Haha, now now, one at a time, I have enough time to play with everyone."
Kids: "Really?!"
Mirai: "Yes, so let's not waste it by fighting."
Kids: "Okay."
Yuuichi: "I wonder who that is."
Kyousuke: "... You don't know who that is?"
Yuuichi: "No, why do you know her?"
Kyousuke: "...No.... she looks like she known here well that's all..."
Yuuichi: "I wish we could ask her but, looks like she busy. Ah, excuse me?"
Nurse: "Hm? Yes? Do you need something?"
Yuuichi: "No, it's just I was wondering who is that girl over there?"
Nii-san pointed to Mirai.
Nurse: "Ah, you mean Mirai-san? She often comes here to visit the children and the elderly. She always brightens up everyone. It's sad to say her little sister is hospitalized."
Yuuichi: "Her sister?"
Nurse: "Yes, however I feel she's having family problems because the two have different last names... ah. I'm saying too much excuse me now."
Kyousuke: "... Family problems."
Yuuichi: "She looks like a nice person."
Kyousuke: "Hm..."
Yuuichi: "You want to say hi, Kyousuke?"
Kyousuke: "Eh?! N-No I'm fine Nii-san."
Yuuichi: "How come?"
Kyousuke: "Well, it just like she's busy with all those kids!"
Yuuichi: "True."
Kyousuke: *cough* "Well Nii-san, I'll go now see you next time."
Yuuichi: "Okay then, bye Kyousuke!"
Tsurugi started walking out of the hospital but stopped one more time and look at Mirai. She was smiling at the children around her.
Tsurugi POV
After I left the hospital, Kuroki-san told me that the Holy Emperor summoned me.
What a piercing gaze. It's like he can see into my very soul. This is Fifth Sector's most powerful person, Holy Emperor Ishido Shuuji...
Kuroki: "Tsurugi-kun. By getting surgery, your brother will be able to play soccer again, is that right?"
"Yes."
Kuroki: "However, you need a large fortune to pay for the latest in medical technology overseas. It's not a sum you can pay off even if you worked your entire life."
"... You'll pay for the surgery, right?"
Kuroki: "Of course. We have a high assessment of your unrivaled talent and what you have done for us so far. If the Holy Road ends with the result we have planned, we will reward you greatly."
"Thank you."
Ishido: "Brothers."
I look towards Ishido and he smirked at me.
Ishido: "There is nothing more important than the bond between brothers."
Kuroki: "You do understand what the Holy Emperor is saying, don't you?"
"... Yes, sir."
3rd POV
After Tsurugi and Kuroki left...
Kirara: "Haha! Kyousuke-kun is really nice isn't he?"
Ishido: "Kirara."
Kirara smiled at Ishido.
Ishido: "You seem to be in a good mood."
Kirara: "Hm~ well yeah, some interesting things happened today."
Ishido: "Are you talking about the match between Raimon and Tengawara?"
Kirara: "Well~ that and the Raimon team in general. What about you, Ishido-san?"
Ishido: "What do you mean?"
Kirara: "Do you find Raimon interesting?"
Ishido: "... I do. But they must be destroyed."
Kirara: "... Okay, if that's what you command!"
Mirai POV
It was dark outside and Aki-nee and I were waiting for Tenma to get home.
"I wonder where Tenma-san is..."
Aki: "Hm. Mirai-chan you want to go look for him with me?"
"Eh, look for him?"
Aki: "Mhm."
I was worried since it was so dark but I went with Aki-nee to look for Tenma. We ended up finding him with his head buried in his arms on a staircase.
"Tenma-san...?"
Aki: "Here you are. Dinner's going to get cold."
Aki-nee walked up to him with a smile. Then she sat down right next to him.
Tenma: "Aki-nee, I..."
Aki: "Hm?"
Tenma: "When that person saved me, I grew to love soccer..."
A person saved Tenma?
Tenma: "And I got to join the Raimon soccer club that I'd always admired. I wanted to keep being honest with soccer always... Because that way, soccer will always be honest with me."
Tenma... that's why you love soccer so much huh?
Tenma: "But that's causing trouble for everyone else. Aki-nee, am I wrong?"
I remembered everyone being annoyed by Tenma.
Aki: "Perhaps."
Tenma looked up at Aki-nee with sad eyes.
Tenma: "Eh?"
Aki: "Just look at all those stars. Pretty, aren't they?"
I look up at the stars along with Tenma and Aki-nee.
Aki: "They aren't just glowing up there. If you look closely, their color and sizes are different. No two of them are exactly alike. Humans are like that too, I think. Each of us has a different way of thinking, so maybe what you believe to be right looks wrong to someone else."
"Looks wrong to someone else..."
Aki: "That's why what's important here, Tenma, is you. What is it that you really want?"
Tenma: "What I really want?"
Aki: "Once you know what that is, I think the answer to what you should do will come to you."
I smiled at the two and looked back at the stars.
... What you really want to do huh?