Arrogance 16

“Two beers for table 3.”

“Right up!”

In a cozy corner of Hinami, amidst the warm glow of lights and the cheerful buzz of conversation, Reo's mother, Hikaru, and her daughter Mahono, were hard at work during the grand opening of their quaint little shop. Amidst securing a steady stream of supplies, functioning equipment and work permits as well as testing the array of selections in the menu over and over, the Yuusaki family had taken its sweet time opening up. They wanted to be sure after all, that their opening would be nothing short of spectacular, aiming to establish themselves as a beloved fixture in the community.

While the island's economy wasn't exactly cutthroat, and the customers were generally easygoing, Hikaru was a stickler for following procedures to the letter. Despite the big game between the Pirates and the Clovers happening that particular Sunday, the pub was finally ready to open, even though Reo wasn't there to help.

To their delight, it wasn't long before customers began to trickle in one after the other, curious to see what all the fuss on the island was about. The newest pub, going by the name of "Ichiban," quickly attracted a satisfied clientele for the night as Mahono skillfully weaved through the tables, delivering drinks all around.

Meanwhile, a large TV above the backbar displayed a green field and a stadium stand of a similar hue, while a gruff voice echoed from the back of the pub.

“Go Hinami! Show them who we are!”

The game hadn't even begun, yet a few patrons were already getting hyped up about their favorite team. As the two sets of teams walked out onto the field and the camera zoomed in on the players, a patron sitting by the counter tapped his chin, brows furrowed in question.

“Ah, that reminds me! Aren’t you number 10’s mother?”

With a chuckle, Hikaru nodded as she filled up another glass of beer. “That I am.” She delivered the man his drink, and cocked her head to look up at the screen.

That I am. She repeated silently.

❖ ⚽ ❖

After the home team’s goal, Hinami immediately surged forward, realizing they had to step up their game. Akihiko swiftly controlled the ball and fed it to Kaoru, unleashing an attack down the left flank. Magowski, ever the supportive presence, dashed ahead to receive the precise pass in attack. Defenders usually joined the attack when needed, providing their winger with support, and the tireless bespectacled left back was a master at that precise maneuver.

Without hesitating, the half-polish defender crossed the ball into the box, and Toraichi jumped to head it in.

“Damn it!”

Unfortunately, the defender outdid him in the air, clearing it away.

“Yosh!”

But his clearance wasn’t perfect, instead dropping before Hinami’s second striker.

At once, Totori sprinted for the ball as it descended into the box. Quick on his feet, the short young man managed to strike it first time before the defenders could close in on him.

“OH!”

Sadly, the ball sailed wide and out of play, missing the left post by barely two meters.

“AAARRGH!”

Totori bit down at his shirt, realizing the big chance he had just missed. The ball had dropped inside the box, and the Clovers were in real trouble. Hitting it first time and with only a split second to react wasn’t easy, but his team really needed that goal. If only he could put it away…

“Don’t mind it, Toto.” Akihiko gave him a thumbs up, before the play resumed.

Despite their perilous circumstances, Hinami continued to work for an equalizer throughout the next minutes. Mizushima Clovers however were a team that knew how to play for a simple 1-0 win, a courtesy of Toshinori Date’s work.

But with Hinami’s pressing, mistakes weren’t that uncommon for the opposition. A miscalculated pass finally gave Totori a chance to retrieve the ball.

“URAAAAH!” With a long tackle, he managed to intercept, and the ball ricocheted to the right where everyone hoped Reo would be.

And he did, much to their delight. The blonde number 10 expertly controlled the ball before it could roll out of play, then swiftly dashed towards the goal. Aware of his prowess in one-on-one situations, his teammates eagerly surged into the box.

“REO!”

“CROSS!”

Reo, of course, knew exactly what the situation typically demanded of him. Skillfully evading his marker, who had struggled all night against him, he continued with pace further down the right flank. With options aplenty in the box, he pondered his next move. Should he deliver a pinpoint cross to Toraichi, their beacon in attack, or opt for a low driven pass to either Hatate or Totori, giving them the opportunity to slot it home?

But, much to Reo’s surprise, one of the Clovers' midfielders had wound up next to him, trying to take the ball off his feet. It was the unknown man in midfield that had played the most passes to Shimizu up until now. Despite his height and build he was really was quick…

But not quicker than me.

Reo’s thoughts of passing and potentially assisting a goal quickly went out the window. Winning this battle was what mattered most to him right now. He couldn’t be outdone… And so he flicked the ball forward and tried to run past his marker.

“Not on my watch!”

However, the robust midfielder didn't allow the situation to escalate into a full-out sprint. With precision, he extended his long legs and cleanly struck the ball out of play. In the process, Reo was caught in the tackle, finding himself face-planting into the grass as the ball went out for a mere throw-in.

“Great job! Fujisaki!”

The Clovers’ left back patted his teammate on the back, as the winner of the duel rose to his feet. As Reo looked up from the ground, he could clearly see the dejected faces of his teammates looking back at him.

Why are you looking at me like that?

“Pass it faster, Reo! Come on!” Gonda hollered from the bench.

Pass it faster?

He wasn’t the type of winger that crossed the ball. He wasn’t a winger in the first place.

Reo pushed himself off the ground, as Totori walked up to him. He wasn’t smiling like usual, but he wasn’t angry either. He patted his friend’s shoulder, and exhaled.

“Let’s do this. 3rd time’s the charm.”

Then he cracked a small smile.

However, there was no charm for the Pirates. In the next moments, Mizushima unleashed a devastating attack, the likes of which Gonda had warned them against.

Unable to get to the attacker on time, Junya tackled Shimizu inside the box, and as the referee awarded the clear penalty, the crowd erupted in the stands once more.

Mizushima had the chance to extend their lead, without even working for it.

While the tension in the air worked in the captain’s favor, Shimizu placed the ball on the white dot inside the box, and took a few steps back.

With a fast and strong run-up, he struck the ball cleanly with his right. Kyogo Haneda chose to dive right, while the ball sailed to the top left corner.

“GOAAAAAAAAALLL!”

Once again, the crowd roared in delight, and Shimizu the captain cupped his ears in front of the loudest of fans behind the goal. An arrogant celebration, fitting for the star of the day.

Half-time soon came, and although Reo got weird stares from his teammates, even they knew it wasn’t all his fault. Certainly conceding 2 goals wasn’t.

Despite the pep talk Gonda gave in the dressing room and the new tactics Shuna introduced, morale in Hinami was rock bottom at the moment. Turning around a 2-0 score away from home sounded difficult, but in reality, it was even more than that.

Mizushima Clovers were a team made for winning. And that’s exactly what they set out to do.

In the second half, it was the same story all over again. Hinami tried, but ultimately couldn’t. The Clovers were too concentrated to give anything away.

In the final minutes of the game, a defensive error by Wataru Futatsuki, who passed the ball towards the Mizushima Clover midfielders, resulted in a third goal for them. It marked the second goal for Kazuya Rito and effectively sealed the match, putting the finishing touch on what had already been a dominant performance by the home team.

At that point, Reo was subbed off. But there was nothing his counterpart, Mikki Asano could do to change the outcome.

The match finished, with the resounding result of 3-0. A day to remember for the cheering Clovers in the stands, and a day to forget for the Pirates of Hinami.

❖ ⚽ ❖

“I guess it’s way different playing against one of the best in the league, huh?”

When the referee blew the whistle, Totori commented from besides Reo on the bench. They had both been subbed off, without a goal to their names. Despite his usually cheery demeanor, Totori still wore a faint smile, though it was clearly tinged with bitterness.

Reo rose from the bench, and stuffed his hands in his jacket’s pockets.

He gulped as soon as he locked eyes with the dejected coach assistant, who hung her head low and didn’t speak a word. Her face was distraught, and it seemed she suppressed her emotions to the point it physically hurt her.

Reo felt weird. He didn’t like seeing her like that. So he didn’t. The young man turned to walk back to the dressing room, before a hand stopped him.

“Where you going?” Gonda fixed his glasses up his nose.

“What?”

“Go on and thank them.” The coach gestured towards the away fans gathered in the far corner of the stadium, where his teammates were already making their way, “They came all this way to watch you, so it’s the least you can do.”

Reo couldn’t argue with that, for his coach was definitely right. Albeit slowly, he followed his teammates towards the corner of the stadium and soon the team started applauding their loyal fans. Despite the heavy loss, the fans who made the trip applauded back, although not as feverously as they would have in case the Pirates were victorious.

Among the gathered crowd, Reo noticed the faces of a few of his classmates. Among them stood the old lady from the bakery, who, despite her elderly status, proudly sported a black and white scarf around her neck, matching the paint adorning her cheek. Despite their varying ages, all the fans shared a common expression—bitterness and disappointment etched across their faces.

The same fans that had welcomed him into the pitch last week, and showered him with praise. Those same fans were looking back at him and his teammates with faces so crestfallen now.

“I’m sorry…” Next to Reo stood Totori, who bit his lip and clutched his jacket’s chest in his fist, bowing profusely at the fans.

“It’s just one game, the season is only getting started.”

Toraichi said, his voice a comforting reassurance as he ruffled his friend's lowered head before heading back to the dressing room. However, despite his optimistic words, the turmoil within him was evident in the depths of his eyes.

As Reo turned around, deciding to head back as well, a lone figure by the side of the pitch caught his eye. It was a young boy, a football resting between his hands. Short black hair, sad, pained eyes. It was… Reo.

Once again, the same vision of himself appeared before him. Still looking depressed. Melancholic. It was a feeling you couldn’t quite place. But the pain in his face was as clear as day.

Why?

Why now?

Why am I seeing that?

It wasn’t a dream, but more like hallucination. It felt too specific to be random.

Clearly, his past wouldn’t leave him alone that easily.

And so, Reo averted his eyes away from the boy, from his younger self, and left the pitch behind.

A/N:

The known Clovers' players are up everyone! Aki Magowski or Junya Asagiri up next?