Chapter 15: A Look Into The Past
Alumni Day was like a sized-down festival. Although it had an elegant sign outside the school gate, the chatter and different smells brought an unsettling flashback to Kiyoshi's last school festival in Setagaya Elementary. Even if he was with Keima back then, crowds unsettled his stomach.
After announcing his presence to the student council, Akasaka Megumi bumped onto him and asked for his company. Kiyoshi shook his head, saying he had somewhere to go. He was given a few minutes to roam until registration closed so he planned to check on the soccer club.
"If you are visiting a club, let me go with you!" Akasaka lifted her pen and notepad.
Kiyoshi grimaced. "I won't help you write an article." The interview hadn't been a particularly unpleasant experience, but its effects were. Even now, he noticed people whispered and glanced at him, some girl pointing out and giggling. Kiyoshi lowered his head. They weren't making fun of him, were they? Some of his replies were strange, like his food preferences. He hated how his mom raised him with high food standards and had to push himself to enjoy street food or fast food. Oily in burgers were delicious for example, but he was confident he could cook one as delicious and healthier.
Akasaka brought the interview up on the way to the soccer club, pushing out more memories from the back of his mind. Kensou had made fun of some replies, like how nervous he sounded or his boring hobbies--videogames and reading. Kiyoshi had no reason to add the truly important ones. He didn't need Kensou's respect, and he would mock Kiyoshi anyway. He was proud of his extensive knowledge of skincare and had no reason to divulge his knowledge.
Ah, but he wouldn't mind telling Gouenji-kun, he thought when he saw the boy. They had some heated and fun discussions about soccer. Gouenji-kun's innocence was so adorable Kiyoshi couldn't help but blush and internally squeal when his eyes sparkled. Although their conversations were like a pair of little kids, Kiyoshi wondered why the younger boy spoke with more emotion with him than his teammates.
So when the underclassman requested his help after the club's event, Kiyoshi accepted without questions.
This is like back then, Kiyoshi realized. After his elementary school team won a tournament, more boys were eager to join, and quite a few looked up to Kiyoshi. Looking back, they either were too young to understand the damage he had caused, or his contribution to the team's victory was too great they didn't care. . . Though, kids weren't that thoughtful, so maybe he just looked cool in their eyes.
Kiyoshi cursed quietly when Sumire stared at him as he trotted beside Gouenji-kun. Then, his attention fell on the two handsome men behind her. They shared the same face: slick hair with matching thick eyebrows and deep charcoal eyes.
The Tatsumaki twins had a powerful, confident aura, and they looked so well in their matching navy blue suits. Gouenji-kun graciously had told him the history of Tornado Legend and that he and Sumire were lacking information. This was the reason the two were eager to talk to the alumni, and so was Kiyoshi's. He mentally thanked his underclassman for calling him out. Kiyoshi had been running errands for the student council and was worrying if he might have missed the chance to see them.
Although let's be real, he couldn't see himself striking a conversation with the men alone.
The reason Gouenji-kun called him was that their elders had challenged the two first years to a soccer battle and were allowed to bring an extra player. Kiyoshi didn't know how strong Sumire was, but he was willing to silently cooperate for their mutual objective.
Sumire's gaze said she was so against it though. Kiyoshi shivered.
After deciding on their positions, Gouenji-kun as their forward, Kiyoshi as their midfield attacker and Sumire as the keeper, the match started. Being on the defensive against experienced adults with greater physique would be playing a losing match, so they chose to go all-out.
The twins may have been forwards once but their defense was as smooth and adaptable as an octopus.
"I can't find any openings," Kiyoshi told the younger boy after the latter managed to kick the ball out of bounds.
"Me neither. I don't think they are serious," Gouenji exhaled. "We have to use hissatsu. We need to score and win."
Kiyoshi shared the sentiment but he didn't bother to learn a non-Teikoku-exclusive hissatsu. "I'll do what I can," he replied.
It was a harsh battle. The twins charged like enraged bulls to a matador.
Soccer battles were as long as thirty minutes, and both parties decided to close with one last play after Kiyoshi's group hadn't scored. Their final tactic was a desperate, full-on attack. Each chose a number, which marked who would launch the final shot. Gouenji-kun was One, Kiyoshi was Two, and Sumire was Three.
As they discussed, the sun was blaring down, burning Kiyoshi's skin. The sweat made his PE uniform stick to his skin like glue. He looked at the blue sky, then the pitch, and smiled. Playing soccer was fun, giving himself up to it for victory. He felt weightless as if his mass had evaporated to gas. Kiyoshi didn't understand why he liked feeling like that. 'Running away from pain' never felt accurate.
The three were like seals against two killer whales trying to cross the ocean in one piece. It was thanks to Gouenji-kun's Fire Tornado that they scored a goal before one of the twins got to him. Each millisecond, the adult striker inched closer to gobble Gouenji in one piece with a single slide. Sumire had failed to mark the adult, but her skill and reaction speed were lacking, just like she warned.
Nevertheless, she looked as happy as Kiyoshi when the ball entered the goal, the three screaming in glee.
⚽️🐰⚽️
It was one of those times where Kiyoshi didn't feel disgusted for thinking Kensou was right. The information they obtained from the Tatsumaki twins was so valuable they hurried to process it in their heads, sitting still until one of the twins closed the conversation with a clap.
Despite wanting to stay on the bench to twist and turn his thoughts, Kiyoshi escorted the four to the gate and waved goodbye. He was allowed to stay until the end of the event and he would use the time to its best.
Tatsumaki Oushou and Tatsumaki Noboru created Fire Tornado and Dark Tornado respectively. Apart from sharing some stories from their youth, they spoke about the soccer club and the state of soccer at that time: Teikoku was the empire and Kageyama its king; what Kiyoshi didn't know was Dark Tornado's manual was stolen.
"I kept a few copies," Tatsumaki Noboru-san said. "Stuff always got lost in the house. Couldn't have that fall on the trash or used as a bookmark for you know what." He smirked.
Kiyoshi snorted. Sumire coughed.
Kiyoshi's main worry was the student council president was officially appointed by the chairman to protect Back Tornado's manual. It was an important hissatsu that almost allowed the team to plop on champion's seat, and with that money. Kiyoshi sighed. "No way he will give the manual to that girl or me." Would the president warn Gouenji-kun about Kiyoshi and Sumire if he gives it to the boy? That was a situation to fear, both for being exposed and losing Gouenji-kun's trust.
Being worthy of the manual was also a test from the twins. They won't lend their copy of Back Tornado.
"And, if I get the manual, I have to decode it." The three manuals are the key to understanding Tornado Legend. He understood the boyish thirst for adventure and secrecy to code their creations. It might have some references to shounen manga, hopefully, coding techniques inspired by them.
Problem three, the missing sibling. There was a hint of sadness and grief in some of the stories the twins narrated. Could have been nostalgia from lost find memories but they evaded the topic of Tatsumaki Hideyoshi's absence. Plus, Kiyoshi had had plenty of experience with sibling loss recently. It was a strong hunch.
Out of the three issues, he was particularly curious about the last one.
A Look Into The Past | End