The Otaku On Matchday

“Are you nervous, Naruse-senpai?” Kanda asked, as our high school team made its way towards the field. At the center of it stood a man, a whistle around his neck. The referee.

The sun was shining brightly on this summer day, much to our, the players’, dismay. It was Saturday, and matchday for our high school's football team. It was a rather big game too, evident by the amount of spectators in the stands.

“Nope. And you shouldn’t be either, Kanda.” I smiled reassuringly, as every player walked to his respective position on the field. I was a midfielder, so I stood, well, in the middle of the pitch, just below the middle line.

For a moment my gaze darted through the crowd, as my trained eye picked up on a few familiar faces.

Chihiro, Riku, and the girls, were all seated in the lowest part of the moderate stands, fanning themselves with what seemed like leaflets, the summer heat clearly doing a number on them.

“…”

Especially Chihiro. He looked… dead? Thankfully Riku was there to fan him some more.

“Hm?” A few ways from where my friends stood, I spotted yet another familiar face. It was Ichika, propping her head up with her fist, a face so uninterested you’d think she was forced to come. Nevertheless, she still was here. Even in this heat.

I smiled as I remembered the events of the day before, and how I had told her to come watch the game if she had some free time. I didn’t expect her to ACTUALLY come however.

Pulling me out of my trance, a sharp whistle blown by the man in bright yellow echoed sharply across the field, as our coach, was just about ready to jump in and tackle someone for no apparent reason.

“GO! GO!”

The players in red, our opponents, started off the play with a few passes around their defense, as every player from our defense and onwards ran out to press.

“Come on!” Kanda, my kouhai, and our team’s fastest winger ran around like a maniac, chasing the ball.

I was too, yet not half as vigorously. My specialty was on the ball, and not so much off it. I was capable of marking, however.

And that’s exactly what I did.

With a well-placed tackle down the wing, I cut a pass off and out of play.

“NICE TACKLE, NARUSE!” My coach gave me a pat on the back as I got up and back on the field.

And yes, he always speaks in capitals.

“NA-RU-SE! HA-RU-HI!”

And, evidently, that fervorous cheer came from a handful of underclassmen that liked to call themselves my fan club, waving all sorts of signs and pon-pons my way.

With a faint smile towards their direction, I got into position again.

“Tch.”

Right as I cut another pass and played a through ball to Kanda, an opponent that seemed annoyed, bumped shoulders with me and chased down the ball again.

My teammates clad in a royal white uniform, dashed down on the counter.

I too, of course, didn’t miss my chance to step up.

Kanda dribbled past his marker and flicked the ball into the box.

“AH!”

The spectators gasped as the ball was cleared.

Yet the danger wasn’t over.

“Heh.” With a smirk, I controlled the ball that had fallen right at the area I occupied, and turned my sights to the goal.

“Naruse-senpai!”

“Naruse, shoot!”

“SHOOT DAMNIT!”

Kanda, some teammates, and our crazy coach urged me on.

I could feel the anticipation, and despite the opponent on my back, I leaned over the ball and lined up the shot.

With an inward curl, it flew past the defenders and the keeper.

“OHHHH!”

But sadly, it clipped the post on its way out.

“Damn it…” I clicked my tongue, as a few teammates of mine offered me a few acknowledging pats on the back.

It wasn’t an easy shot, but I could have converted it into a goal nonetheless. Today’s match was against a strong team, and an early lead would—

“Watch where you’re going.” My marker, that ultimately nudged me just as little as it was needed to put me off during my shot, elbowed me again from behind.

Turning around, I noticed his glare. What was his deal?

“NA-RU-SE! FIGHTOOOO!”

My fan club was still going strong in the background, despite the missed shot.

“Tch.”

My opponent clicked his tongue again, his glare intensifying.

Oh, now I get it!

Somebody’s… jealous?

With a slight smirk, I jogged back into position. No reason in bickering with him so early in the game. Well, if we were winning of course, that would have been a different story.

The keeper resumed play, and the battle between red and white continued.

The previously jealous midfielder continued to stick on me like a bug I just couldn’t shake off, and the first half was about to end with little between the sides apart from a few set pieces.

I looked over at the crowd, as I went to take a long throw in by the side the stands of our school were positioned.

Boring… So boring…

I could almost hear Ichika’s thoughts, as we locked eyes for a moment. I think she was about ready to fall asleep, with the way she looked at me.

Sending her a quick thumbs up, I turned back round just as she shrugged.

“NARUSEEE! HE GAVE A THUMBS UP!”

And apparently, my underclassmen thought it was meant for them as they erupted in cheers.

Maybe the fact they were positioned exactly behind Ichika didn’t help with her mood. Having a few crazy girls foaming at the mouth about your fake boyfriend while watching a boring game couldn’t be good for her, surely.

“Suzuki! Kanda!” I gave a few calls, extending the ball over my head and hurling it into the box.

Again, it was cleared by a defender’s header, and once again I rushed to pick the loose ball. I swear, today’s match really was tough!

I controlled the ball and looked around. My marker, who was glued to me all match returned too. Suzuki, our center forward came short to receive it.

That was the easy option.

I COULD add some flair however.

With a flick of the ball I rushed past an unaware midfielder, and pushed through their ranks.

“NICE HARUHI! NOW PASS!”

Kanda was doing a perfect inverted run, all I had to do was—

Right as I was about to pass, the marker I had shaken off slammed his shoulder against mine.

“Tch!” We both fought for the ball, physically challenging each other.

Will he ever leave me the heck alone?! He’s messing up my groove over here!

Right as I was mumbling inwardly, I finally found the opening. I flicked the ball slightly, and opted to overwhelm him with my pace.

“Oh no, you don’t!” Despite his annoyed remark, I had shaken him off and could now pass.

Or so I thought…

With a sliding tackle pulled right out of the lowest divisions of Latin American football, my opponent extended his foot towards the ball.

The ball was no longer there… Instead, what happened to be there was my foot.

Crack

Crack?

His cleats dug into my foot, and my ankle twisted by the force of the tackle.

With a lot of momentum, I slid across the grass, eyes no longer on the ball, but on the wide blue sky.

Ouch?

“AAAAH!”

I instantly clutched my foot in pain, as the referee blew the whistle.

“It was clear ball ref!”

Clear ball?! Who said that?!

I couldn’t see through my shut eyes, as I tried to fight the pain, but when I got up I swore I would find him…

“What the hell man?!”

“RED! THAT WAS A RED! REF WHAT THE—“

As our coach was just about ready to pop a vessel, and my teammates came to my aid while bickering with the opposing team, I opened my eyes to the medical team rushing towards me.

Well, medical team was a bit of an overstatement. It was just the school nurse and her husband.

“Naruse-kun? Does it hurt?”

She asked me, as I limped off the field, with her assistant supporting me.

I now had two options, A) Lie and say I was fine, and B) Be honest and tell her how I wanna roll over and cry.

And of course, I chose the first.

“Haruhi-kun!” Sumi cupped her palms around her mouth and shouted, trying to discern my well-being.

“Haru-chan!” Riku too, followed along.

How could I lie down now?!

“I’m fi—“

“NARUSE IS OKAY! NA-RU-SE!”

Crack

As I tried to step on my injured leg, another wave of pain rushed along with the movement.

He is not okay…

Seeing the ghastly expression on my face, the almost elderly school nurse glared at me.

“Sit down.”

“Yes ma’am.”

I complied, wincing.

“NARUSE IS NOT OKAY!”

As my fan club finally got the message, cheers turning to scowls, the nurse examined my ankle.

“Ufff…” I winced at her touch again.

“Yeah…” She nodded, as she took further hold of it. “Does it hurt here?”

“Yeah.”

“Here?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Over here?”

“Yeah!”

That last one hurt!

With an uncertain expression creeping up on my face, I turned to the stands next to where I was sat.

Sumi was looking on in concern, Riku was furrowing his brows. Chihiro tried to mask it, but was annoyed, probably towards the tackler. While Chiaki was about to cry, Mari hurled insult after insult on the opposing players, just about ready to jump off the stands.

“You stupid ***! What the ***?!”

Who added the censor?

“Heh.” I smiled, albeit in pain. Absentmindedly, I turned to where Ichika was sitting.

My smile dropped.

Her seat was empty. All it remained was my dejected kouhai fan club, cursing at the other team with newfound hate.

Suddenly, a heaviness loomed within my chest.

Why did Ichika leave? And most importantly why does it even bother me?

“Hm, it seems it’s kinda bad.”

“Eh?”

I turned towards the school nurse, gulping.

Bad?