Chapter 77 - Toya's Time
(1)
"Toya-kun, morning~!"
"Morning... Airi. Aren't you a bit earlier than usual?"
Looking at the clock, it was a full hour earlier than usual.
"Because you're starting morning practice today, right?"
Ah, come to think of it, did I join the Soccer Club as a trial member?
But isn't this strange?
Why is Airi coming early too?
"Airi. Why are you coming early as well?"
"If I don't wake you up, who will?"
No, my parents are normally here.
I think that smug look is a bit much, Airi.
"No, my parents are normally here, and I can wake up on my own."
"But you were sleeping."
Ugh!
"Besides, I want to see how Toya-kun practices."
Is it that? The kind of person who stands outside alone while everyone else is practicing on the ground.
I don't think anyone would do that unless they were an incredibly obsessive fan.
Airi isn't that kind of character, is she?
"I think you're just bored... I don't think I can do any movements that impressive."
"I have a little bit of interest in soccer, but more than that, I want to see Toya-kun moving."
She's completely a fan of me.
Is she going to take photos?
Is she going to smell my jersey?
I'm starting to lose track of Airi's character lately.
Well, even if I refuse, she'll probably follow me anyway.
It seems Kanna hasn't come.
Well, her part-time job starts late and she's studying, so 5:00 AM is probably too harsh even for her.
"Well, shall we go...?"
"Yeah!"
(2)
When I arrived at the ground in the morning, practice had already begun.
"You're late, Katagiri."
"I'm sorry."
"For now, ten laps around the ground!"
Well, basic physical strength is necessary.
It's probably the thing I lack most right now.
In fact, just running ten laps has me out of breath.
"Next, see those cones lined up over there? Dribble slalom!"
I've seen on the internet that this practice is meaningless.
Well, in terms of learning ball touch, I suppose it has meaning.
But I don't really like this practice.
I weave through the cones in a zigzag while looking at the ball.
Look, I can hear it.
How unsightly I must look, dribbling while looking only at the ball?
"Katagiri, look ahead while you dribble."
If I look ahead, I won't know where the ball is, right?
Do I not need to look at the cones?
The cones aren't moving, so is there a need to look at them?
The words Umeki-kun said to me after practice ended:
"I figured out why you don't dribble. You can't dribble."
It's a bit different, but well, whatever. If that's what he thinks.
After-school practice involved joining the group drills.
That said, as usual, I was just wandering around on the field.
I just occasionally returned balls that flew my way to the teammate playing defensive midfielder.
It's a simple task.
The position I'm in charge of is right side-back.
I just have to protect the right side from the half of my own field.
I just have to protect my own zone?
Of course, I do things like pressing in accordance with my teammates' movements.
Regardless, isn't this side being attacked too much?
Thinking that, there was an obviously open space.
What should I do?
If I move clumsily, I'll stand out again.
Should I leave it alone?
Then came a precise instruction from Sakura-san.
"Katagiri-senpai!! It's open ahead!!"
Why does she say unnecessary things?
Now I have to move.
Naturally, the opponent moves too.
A teammate sends a leisurely pass in accordance with my movement.
A pass like that will be cut.
I go to take the ball myself.
I'm surrounded by enemies.
What now?
I make it look like I'm passing back to a teammate.
But instead, I step backward.
I had put backspin on the ball.
I receive the ball as it returns to me while I'm free.
I send that ball forward with a ground pass.
It was supposed to weave between the opponent's legs and be pushed in by a teammate... but.
It seems I made the ball vanish even from my teammate's sight.
They hurriedly put out a foot, but they weren't in time.
It's okay. You don't have to apologize that much.
The ball hit the inside of the post and the rebounding ball crossed the goal line.
The teammates were stunned.
"Katagiri really is amazing, he actually changed the flow with one play."
Saying that, Umeki-kun slapped my back repeatedly.
It actually hurts.
I don't know how this play looked to the coach, but it seems he didn't think very highly of it.
From that day on, I transitioned to a practice menu focused entirely on physical strengthening.
On the way home one day.
It seems Airi had been watching the whole time during practice.
I mean, is she going to keep doing this every day?
Her study time will decrease...?
"If you're going to say that, it's the same for Toya-kun, right? Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I might not be okay. That's why, at least for you, Airi..."
"We're a community of shared fate! If Toya-kun fails, I'll be a ronin too, so there's no point in only I studying!"
Ah, I had made such a promise.
I curse myself for agreeing so easily.
"Sorry..."
"It's fine. I was worried because you were doing it looking as bothered as ever, but are you okay on your end?"
"I'm okay for now. I was removed from the general practice, and I haven't stood out since the first day."
I can even think that she doesn't need to come.
"You don't have to force yourself to continue. I'll appeal directly to Mikimoto-sensei."
"It's okay, the Inter-High prefectural qualifiers are soon, right? The promise was until then."
"I see. If that's the case, it's fine."
"Yeah, more importantly, I have to go home quickly and study. I have less time than usual."
"That's true!"
Airi smiles.
How much I am saved by that single smile.
(3)
Inter-High prefectural qualifiers.
Is it because the coach's tactics are good? Or is it because the members' abilities have improved?
Our school made it to the finals.
The opponent in the finals was Makoto's school.
Go easy on me, okay?
Don't worry. I haven't stood on the field once.
As I thought, I'm probably not needed, right?
However, Makoto and his group were also a powerhouse that had won up to the third round of high school soccer.
We were entirely on the defensive.
The first half ended and we returned to the waiting room.
"Katagiri! I'm betting on you for the second half."
Yes, you want me to run for 45 minutes?
How many times do I have to tell you I don't have that kind of stamina.
I don't understand what this coach is thinking.
A single sentence the coach said upon leaving the waiting room:
"Katagiri, make my heart race."
The second half begins.
As usual, we were entirely on the defensive.
But, what I did didn't change.
I returned the balls that came to me to Umeki-kun.
After that, Umeki-kun would probably become the starting point for the attack.
Makoto cuts in.
"I told you not to play soccer!"
"It just happened that way! Sorry!"
"If you're going to apologize, give me a goal."
"Would you be happy if I gave you one?"
"Well, part of it is that I wanted to compete with you once!"
Makoto is far superior in running power.
But Makoto has a weakness too.
No, I don't know if it's a weakness or just normal.
When Makoto receives the ball, he traps it once.
The difference in running power can be compensated for there.
Then, I dive into the space where the ball has moved away and wedge myself between the ball and Makoto.
I didn't knock him down.
Then, I kick the ball with my heel and pass it to Umeki-kun.
When am I looking at Umeki-kun, you ask?
It's obvious, when I'm not participating in the play, right?
When the deadlock continued and five minutes remained, the coach moved.
He pulled one FW and put in a DF.
Eh? I don't understand the meaning of this.
Is overtime guaranteed?
The DF who came in ran over to me.
"Substitution. You move to FW."
Is it going to become even more exhausting?
I was moved to the position known as a second top.
Is it okay to leave Makoto free?
Immediately after the substitution, a pass came to me.
I'm surrounded by enemies. I maneuver somehow so the ball isn't taken.
I'm not allowed to face forward.
Well, I'm only looking at my feet anyway.
At that moment, it felt as if time had stopped.
Three DFs behind me.
The position I'm in is slightly to the left.
To the right, a teammate FW is... slightly dropped back.
Do I do it or not?
My body reacted immediately before my head could judge.
I kick the ball up toward the right goal front.
The keeper tries to dive, but stops.
Did he judge it as a pass to the right FW? Or did he judge that it would go outside the goal anyway? I don't know.
But Makoto, who knows my play, was shouting.
"You have to stop that ball!"
The ball draws an arc and curves as if to dig into the upper right corner of the goal.
The keeper hurriedly tries to dive, but it's already too late.
The ball bounces off the bar and crosses the goal line.
The whistle blows.
I'm hugged by my teammates.
I unintentionally fall over.
An undesirable state of being pushed down by men.
Stop it, don't kiss me!
And...
"The game isn't over yet!!"
Makoto and the others try to restart the game quickly.
There, a teammate DF remains in the center circle and doesn't let the game restart.
Ah, I hate sprinting.
Once it restarts, Makoto and the others quickly go on the offensive.
I also return to the goal front and steal the ball.
At that moment, I again feel as if time has stopped.
How should I put it?
The moment when, even though I'm only looking at my feet, the surrounding situation slides in.
Perhaps because they're panicked by the lack of remaining time, I vaguely felt that all the opponent's players had crossed the half-line.
Thinking of nothing, I kick the ball far forward.
Was everyone's time stopped too?
No one tries to move.
Only the opponent's keeper "misunderstands" that I cleared the ball and moves outside the penalty area to receive it.
Makoto seems to have noticed.
"Keeper, get back!!"
However, the opponent's keeper doesn't seem to understand the meaning of that.
The meaning became clear... when the ball passed over his head.
The keeper hurriedly returns.
But he's not in time.
Heartlessly, the ball was sucked into the unmanned goal.
Silence falls.
"No way!!"
"Amazing!!"
Such voices gradually began to be heard.
It had already entered additional time.
"Katagiri!! You really are a genius!!"
I told you I don't need hugs from boys.
The teammates hug me, regardless of my convenience.
And the match ended.
It closed with our high school winning 2-0.
"Damn it, if I'd known, I would have forced you into Ida High."
Makoto asks for a handshake, looking frustrated.
"Don't worry, I won't appear in the national high school soccer."
"It's a promise!"
I thank the people who had come to cheer me on, not a few of them.
Among them were the figures of Airi and the others.
Then I return to our bench.
"Katagiri, won't you reconsider? For the Inter-High main tournament too..."
"We promised at the start, didn't we?"
"With you, you could get into university through soccer, right? Or even make a living from soccer."
"I've decided to go to the same university as Tosaka-san and the others."
"Katagiri-senpai! Please don't stop."
We promised, didn't we, Sakura-san?
That it was only until the Inter-High qualifiers.
"Katagiri, you're really quitting already?"
"Don't quit."
"Yeah, yeah."
It seems to have infected the teammates as well.
"I have a promise with a friend. 'Don't play soccer in high school!'..."
"Is that friend a demon! Telling someone with this kind of talent not to play soccer."
"At first, they recommended I go to high school through soccer. But I refused."
"But still..."
"You did well, Katagiri."
The coach intervened.
"You kept your promise, 'make my heart race,' and after that, you can do as you like. I've never been this excited while being a coach."
"Coach... I'm sorry."
"If you're going to apologize, I'd rather you continue... As everyone says, your skill is worthy of being called a natural talent."
No, nothing will come out of it even if you flatter me.
To tell the truth, I'm so exhausted it's hard even to stand.
I'll probably have muscle pain tomorrow.
And also, switching from DF to FW in the middle of a game is normally impossible.
If it were from MF, maybe, but from DF.
"This is the reward for the promise. Everyone, give me at least one win in the main tournament. Otherwise, people might say we got into the Inter-High thanks to Katagiri."
The coach shouts.
"Y-Yes!"
The teammates greet him in unison.
Thus, my high school soccer came to a close.
(4)
"You did it! Airi."
Kanna jumps and bounces with joy.
But, didn't we do something bad to Makoto-kun?
"But is this the end, then? Seeing Toya's play..."
Kanna speaks wistfully.
"It's Toya-kun's choice. Let's respect it."
When I say that to Kanna, Kanna says with a dark expression.
"Airi, in the opposite pattern of your case, have you ever thought that we're the ones dragging Toya down?"
"What do you mean?"
"Like, he's sealing away soccer because he wants to go to the same school as us."
"That's not it. Because I told Toya-kun, 'I'm just following after Toya-kun.' Besides, if he continues any further, there's no guarantee that people won't put pressure on Toya-kun again."
"I see."
Saying that, Kanna smiled.
"Who is that FW!?"
"I've never seen him before!? Is he a first-year!?"
"Katagiri Toya! Apparently a second-year!"
"Why? A player like that wasn't here last year."
I walk with a smirk through the commotion of the officials.
Then, I found Toya-kun in his jersey, surrounded by girls.
Well, if he stands out that much, that's how it goes.
It's okay. I won't get angry over something like this.
I push through the crowd to help Toya-kun and approach him.
Then, I found him talking to an adult woman.
Looking at the armband, she seems to be someone related to the media.
"Toya-kun, good work~"
When I wave, Toya-kun seems to have noticed.
"Ah, Airi! You came to cheer me on."
Then the woman asked Toya-kun.
"Katagiri-kun, are these the ones from the story earlier?"
"Yes, my girlfriend Airi and her friend Kanna."
Girlfriend... I didn't think I'd hear such a word from Toya-kun.
"I see... Nice to meet you. I'm Sakoshita, a reporter for OS."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Tosaka."
"Hello, I'm Otonashi."
After the greetings were finished, Sakoshita-san asked bluntly.
"Tosaka-san. I'm asking as a woman. Do you think Katagiri-kun is fine as he is now?"
"...I don't understand what you mean."
"He is currently at the same level as the top players of high school soccer, like Sakashita-kun and Oki-kun. I wonder what you think about throwing away such talent to go to an ordinary university?"
"...It's for Toya-kun to decide. I don't think it's for us to say this or that."
"You're afraid that Katagiri-kun will go somewhere beyond your reach... aren't you?"
"I intend to follow him wherever he goes, so I've never thought about it."
Perhaps feeling the tension in the conversation between me and Sakoshita-san, Toya-kun and Kanna say nothing.
"You said you'd follow him wherever he goes, right?"
"...Is there something wrong with that?"
"In that case, I won't lose either. I'll follow him wherever he goes. Soccer isn't just high school soccer. University, professional—it can be done anytime, anywhere. His talent is..."
"Please stop dismissing Toya-kun with a single word like talent! What do you think you know about Toya-kun, Sakoshita-san!"
"It seems I've made you angry. I'll withdraw for today. But remember those words from earlier, Katagiri-kun."
Toya-kun answered shortly with a "Yes."
"Well then, until next time... we'll likely meet again, whether you like it or not."
Sakoshita-san said that and left.
"I'm going back with my teammates. See you at home."
"Yeah, see you."
Saying that, Toya-kun returned to the waiting room while leading a large crowd of girls.
"It's tough for you too, Airi."
"It's the same for Makoto-kun, right?"
Besides, I already knew that Toya-kun's fans are only interested in Toya-kun's soccer.
Most people would lose interest upon seeing the gap if they saw Toya-kun's private life.
It's not something for me to panic about.
Because I know that no one other than me can accept Toya-kun exactly as he is.
"Well, shall we go home too?"
"Yeah..."
That day, a grand party was held at the Katagiri house.
It seems Kanna also took the day off from her part-time job.
"...No, ...Katagiri-san, you have such a splendid son..."
"No, usually he's just a lazy son."
"That's right, compared to Tosaka-san's daughter, our son is..."
"That's not true~, more importantly, I'm looking forward to seeing how the two children turn out~"
What is Rie-chan saying!
"Airi-chan. Give birth to a splendid child~"
"Airi, as I thought, your parents are crazy..."
"...Sorry."
Toya-kun seems to have neither the energy nor the will to stop them.
Usually, he would stop them.
Did he get tired?
"Toya? If you're tired, go rest upstairs."
"Have Airi-chan give you a massage~. I'm teaching Airi-chan personally~"
Rie-chan, be quiet!!
Seeing me turn red in the face, Toya-kun told me and Kanna, "Shall we go upstairs?" and climbed the stairs.
We followed him.
"Phew~"
Saying that, Toya-kun sprawled out on the bed.
"Toya-kun, you're doing it wrong, right?"
"Eh?"
I can't give you a massage unless you lie face down, you know?
"You're facing the wrong way."
"Ah, you're really doing it... sorry."
Saying that, Toya-kun shifted into a face-down position.
I straddled him and began the massage.
"Hey, Toya. What did that reporter say to you?"
Kanna asked bluntly.
"What?"
"I mean~ 'But remember those words from earlier, Katagiri-kun,' she said, right? What did she put in your head?"
"It's nothing major."
"...Am I in the way?"
"Eh?"
"I mean~! Is this something you two should discuss alone!? That's what I'm asking!"
As usual, he's so incredibly dense about things other than soccer.
"Ah, so that's how you took it. No, it's really nothing major."
"Then tell us. I have a feeling it's not something that should only be discussed when you're alone."
"It's okay. I've become able to talk calmly with Airi too. Well, whatever. 'You're not the scale of soccer that fits in local amateur leagues, no, that fits in Japan. Eventually, you'll turn your eyes to the world,' she said. I thought she had a lot of nerve saying that to me, who looks like this after only 45 minutes of play."
Saying that, Toya-kun was laughing.
At that moment, I remembered Kanna's words.
Are we conversely becoming a shackle?
Toya-kun's soccer is amazing.
If he starts seriously, he'll surely become an amazing player.
Was it 'fantasista' that Makoto-kun said? I think he'll become that kind of amazing player.
For Toya-kun's sake, is it better to let him start soccer?
But, I don't want Toya-kun to be anyone's but mine...
"What's wrong, Airi?"
I was crying.
Thinking that eventually, he might go far away.
If that happens, would I be able to endure it like Kanna?
"I told you, right? Our hearts are always together."
Toya-kun?
"I'm saying this because I vaguely understand what Airi is thinking, but there's no such thing. I told you I have no intention of playing soccer, right?"
"But..."
"I'll tell you this since I'm at it, but, 'There is no human more loved by the god of soccer than you. Even if you turn your back, soccer won't allow it'... That's what she said. So I told her, 'Even if I'm not loved by the god of soccer, I'm loved by Airi, so that's enough.'"
"Toya-kun..."
"I don't like soccer as much as Airi or Kanna think I do. At the very least, if I were told to choose between soccer and Airi, I'd choose Airi without hesitation."
"You've learned how to say it. Toya too."
Saying that, Kanna stood up.
"Well, I'm going home. I've got to go console Makoto. I got an email from Makoto saying 'I'll resent Toya.' You two take care of the rest."
Saying that, Kanna left the room.
"And that's how it is, Airi. There's no need to worry about anything."
"Yeah... hey, Toya-kun."
"What is it?"
"We're not becoming a shackle, right?"
"Of course not!"
Thank goodness.
"Now then... I've been healed enough, so next it's Airi's turn."
A question mark floats above my head.
"Airi, could you move a bit?"
When I stood up as told, Toya-kun lay on his back again. He hugged me.
"Here, cry your fill, okay?"
I could feel my face turning red.
The one who wants to flirt is you, Toya-kun!
"Neither of us is very honest, are we?"
"Maybe so."
Saying that, the two of us laughed.