"That's just basic training! Don't be too slow!" The coach shouted as we ran through the cones.
"It's just some cones! Come on, faster! Hey Yusuke-kun, don't collide with the cones! Run through them!"
"Yes coach!"
"You've got more to do, okay?!"
"Yes coach!"
"Alright, 20 laps round the compound!" He shouted.
"Yes coach!"
"Hey, they're at it again." A girl said as they walked past us.
"They look pitiful. It looks like they got a really tough coach."
"Yeah, hahaha."
They laughed before walking past us.
"Tsk."
"Don't mind, don't mind. Let's keep at it!" Tanaka said.
*This is so tiring.* I thought, jogging behind them.
~~~
"I'm so tired."
"Me too, I need to relax for a few days."
"Hey." Suzune called as I turned to her.
"Hm?"
"How's your nose?" She asked, sitting beside me.
"My nose? Ah, it's fine now. Didn't even remember I had an injury." I said, smiling at her.
"Thank goodness. I thought it still hurt." She said.
"No it doesn't. Thanks for asking."
"Mmn, no problem."
As we talked, I could feel someone glaring at me. I looked towards the guys and saw them talking to themselves.
*Hm? Did I feel wrongly?* I thought.
"Okay okay! Get your butt's over here." The coach said as we walked over to him tiredly.
"Let's take care of our passes, then we'd go over the others after it."
*Passes? Isn't that easy?*
We made a circle with Kimishita in the middle of it.
"Now why do I have to be in the circle?" He asked.
"Okay, let's go. One-touch passes. Don't let Kimishita get the ball, or you'll run 5 extra laps."
"5 more?"
"I'm not ready for that."
"Don't use your hands! And make sure he doesn't get it!"
"Yes coach!"
"Come on, faster, Kimishita! You'll be the one running 5 more laps!"
"Wait what?!"
~~~
"Okay, move back a bit, run forward, and play a high pass."
"Yes coach."
~~~
"Stay at the goal post, Koenji."
"Yes coach."
"You guys come forward and try to score after running through the cones."
"Yes coach!"
"Come on! There's enough space to score!"
"Sorry coach."
"Hey! Don't just stand somewhere, Koenji! Don't let the score!"
"Yes coach!"
"Okay Kimishita!"
"Yes coach?"
"Don't let him get close to the goal post. Make sure to stop him from scoring."
"With Koenji?"
"No with me. Of course, with Koenji!" The coach shouted.
"Pfft…"
"Hahaha!"
"Tsk…"
"Come on, Akatsuki-kun! You go first!"
"Yes coach!"
~~~
"Okay, now cross it!" He shouted.
"Yes coach!"
Ryuto ran forward, playing a high corner into the box where Kimishita stood ready to get the ball.
"Jump and hit it into the post. Don't let Koenji get it!"
"Yes coach!"
"Koenji, don't let it get in!"
"I won't!"
~~~
"Okay, it's your turn now. Ryuto and Atsushi!"
"Coming coach!"
We stood in our positions, waiting for the coach to blow the whistle.
"Cross it!"
"Yes coach!"
"What are you doing?! Hit the ball into the net Atsushi-kun!"
"Sorry coach!"
"Try again!"
"Yes coach!"
~~~
"Okay, we'll be selecting our corner takers, penalty takers, free-kick takers, and others in the following days. Today's training wasn't too bad. Try training on your own." He said.
"Yes coach…"
"Ha… today's training was like hell."
"But it was kinda fun."
"Fun? It felt like I was too bad out there."
*Looks like we've got our goalkeeper. Saito-kun really did well, unlike me.*
"Ha…" I sighed, picking up a towel to clean off my sweaty face.
"Here." I heard someone say, handing a bottle of water to me.
"Ah… thanks." I said, looking up at him immediately.
"Kisho-san?"
"You're welcome. You can call me Akatsuki."
*Akatsuki?* I thought, staring at him.
He smiled at me before taking a sip from his bottle of water.
"Todays training was really nerve-wracking. I feel like sleeping here." He said.
"Oh… yeah…"
"Your bangs…"
"Hm?"
"It's growing out. Makes it look weird…"
*Weird…*
{"Ugh… you look so weird."
"He does! How does one get that kind
of hair."
"Looks like cosplay to me."
"Hahaha."
"You look so weird, O-SHI-BA-SAN."}
"I…"
"Oh, I didn't mean it that way! I meant that it didn't go well with the bangs and all, um… I meant, you see…"
"I-it's alright…"
"Ah… I said something wrong, sorry. I just meant to help you style it." He said.
"Style it?"
"Yeah. I'm quite good at it."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, for real! I used to help style that of my elder brother."
"O-okay then. Let's do it." I said.
"Cool!" He said, smiling at me.
"Yeah…"
*Why does his smile look… forced…?* I thought, looking away as he kept going on and on.
~~~
"Hope you're ready." He said as I sat in front of a mirror in his room, looking at my reflection.
He had already helped me wash off the dye I had applied before.
"Ready whenever you are."
"There's no going back on this one."
"I know."
*I've decided to change myself. Even if it's just in a slight way.* I thought, with the resolve to take in whatever was coming to me.
"It's just a haircut. Why do you look so serious?" He asked before laughing.
"Uh… well…"
*That was embarrassing.*
"Here goes nothing!"
CUT…
"And I'm done!" He said as I opened my eyes gently.
*Huh?*
"Wow, I really did a great job with your hair." He said, smiling proudly.
"You finally did something! You've been playing around with my hair since."
"Haha, that was just to liven up the mood."
"Thanks though. It looks great."
"Hehe no need for thanks between brothers." He said.
*Brothers?*
"I-I mean, it's alright to call ourselves that, right?" He asked, smiling.
*That smile again.*
"I guess… if you say so." I said.
"Mmn mmn! Don't you like it?"
"It's cool."
"Yeah… I'll help you style it next time." He said as I nodded.
"Hey, did you see my… Whoa! Who's that?" Saito asked, looking at Akatsuki.
"Stop overreacting." I said as they laughed.
"I didn't recognise you at all."
"Yeah right."
After discussing for a while, Akatsuki offered to help me prepare dinner. We both walked downstairs and headed to the kitchen.