Piercing The Clouds Part 5
Kiyoshi walked back into the house and tapped Keima's shoulder who was gulping down a glass of water. "I'm going back home. Thanks for inviting me over."
Keima nodded. "Do you mind if go with you? . . .Half-way."
Kiyoshi gave him a look, unsure if he was holding himself back from protecting him on his way home or because he missed him. He opted for the former. "Sure."
Keima left the glass in the sink."I have to walk Hachi-dan."
Ah, of course. Kiyoshi felt his cheeks heat up. He missed the target horribly.
Glancing at the small altar near the ceiling, he locked eyes with the little boy in the picture after so long. Kirishima Kinshou and him were different people, no matter what they said.
They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. It had been so long since he had shared a moment with someone who cared for him. He looked up at the stars. They seemed brighter than usual.
"I had fun."
Keima smiled. "What else have you been up to?"
Kiyoshi wished Keima would be quieter, but part of him accepted this was part of his personality. He recalled the most recent events, his mind coming to an abrupt stop when the Coach's smug grin of flashed.
"Yoshii? What's wrong?"
Kiyoshi exhaled slowly as if his energy left his body through his lips. "There was something. I was depressed this morning because of that." He couldn't turn to Keima, his courage would leave him if he did.
"I can listen. . . if you want." It probably wasn't Keima's intention to sound indifferent when he used to be forceful about revealing his issues.
Kiyoshi looked at his feet. The tips of his sneakers were dirty. It was the only pair he used, his favorites. "I'll. . . be transferred to Kidokawa. To spy the soccer team. The Coach said if I do a good job, he will open tryouts for the second team when I get back." He brought his eyes to Keima slowly, taking in the effort he put into digesting each word.
"I heard the rumor Teikoku used spies during the Football Frontier, but I didn't believe it until now."
Kiyoshi nodded, affirming it was very real. There a slight hesitation in making an excuse for himself.
"So that's why you said you were going to try again," Keima said wistfully. "It's obvious you would take any chance you get."
Kiyoshi opened his mouth and promptly closed it. He was unsure if he had to apologize, and gazed at Keima's troubled expression.
". . .Good luck."
Kiyoshi nodded, wondering if Keima was judging him silently. The air between tensed. He could tell Keima was troubled how to respond.
"I made it a habit to look at the soccer club's practice."
"Oh, that's amazing," Keima said plainly. He was terrible at feigning.
"The Coach found out and I got in trouble," Kiyoshi murmured.
Keima nodded and broke into a smile. "I get it." Nothing more needed to be said.
''U-Um, w-which school did you go again?" he said with a hint of apology.
"Tengawara!" Keima answered perkly. "It's nice, save from the fact it's impossible to go to the Nationals." He shrugged.
Unsurprisingly, it was a name unfamiliar to him. The only school he cared enough to remember that had a reputation in Kanto and the soccer world was Teikoku. Funnily, Kiyoshi had the brains to enter an elite school but lacked the talent to for the soccer team, and Keima was the opposite.
Take soccer from Keima, and he's just an optimistic, selfish idiot, take it from Kiyoshi, and he's dead.
"What's so funny?" Keima tilted his head.
Kiyoshi said amusedly, "I was just thinking I can make it to Teikoku but not the team, while you can make it to the team but not Teikoku."
Keima laughed wholeheartedly. "I would never be able to pass that monstrous exam. Never in a million years," he said while cleaning his eyes.
"It was horrible. I don't want to take it ever again," Kiyoshi said with a smile.
Keima's school life was sure to be fun and exciting. He probably had more than a few friends, and the teachers would like him. He wasn't the boisterous type but cheerful and outgoing on the calm side, as if the balance was forced into him to be the perfect target of envy. He dreaded the thought of Keima being happy without him when his life at Teikoku was empty and dull.
"How is it. . . at Tengawara?" Kiyoshi asked.
Keima shrugged, perhaps sensing his discomfort. "It's cool, take out the gossipers."
"Are there a lot?"
Keima crossed his arms in thought, changing Hachi-dan's collar to his left hand. "It's different from Setagaya Elementary. They care enough to gossip and act like idiots."
Kiyoshi nodded. He understood Keima's vague statement. There was a girl who was fairly disliked in his class, and the girls, with their keen noses, always found things to criticize her about behind her back. They obviously weren't friends and didn't care to help her when she was troubled. It was like they cared about her mistakes, but not the person herself.
"It's weird."
"I'm sure I can handle it better starting on Monday. Hachi-dan needs to run." Keima started trotting, leaving Kiyoshi mildly confused, but shoved the thought aside as Keima didn't seem to care about it.
Ten minutes later, they reached Kiyoshi's house and stood outside the door.
Kiyoshi took out his key and unlocked the door. "Do you want to come inside? Mother asked me why you hadn't come over a few times," he asked.
"Oh, sure." Keima fixed his hair and inhaled as if preparing mentally preparing for something unpleasant.
Kiyoshi asked to take Hachi-dan's collar and tied it to a small bush as Keima entered. Gardening was his mother's hobby so their backyard was pretty and well-maintained despite their low-income. He patted the dog's head and hugged him, allowing his anxiety to calm down. Animals had this power to ease people, and dogs and cats were common pets to have as therapy animals. He usually petted as many cats he found on his way home, making the hand clenching his heart let go little by little. The thought of home made him uncomfortable, even if Keima came with him. It will come back stronger when he left, but he knew how to handle it, or he had just grown used to it.
He let his thoughts wander to the two cats in the small abandoned park. Tomorrow was a good day to visit them, after finishing his appointed chores and homework. He ruffled Hachi-dan's head one last time and kissed him on the cheek, chuckling as the dog started to lick him.
"Thanks." He stood up and entered the house with slow steps, closing the door behind him with a click. "I'm home. . ."
Keima was nowhere to be seen. The living room was empty but bright, so was the hall. He called out to Keima when he heard a voice coming from the lit kitchen and entered, finding him talking to his mother. He locked eyes with her momentarily and made a quiet greeting, receiving cold one as he sat beside Keima who had become silent but quickly brought up another topic.
With this, his mother would be reassured he was friends with Keima. She had probably put two and two together when Keima visited daily after they fought.
Kiyoshi preferred to be outside playing with Hachi-dan instead of silently listening to their shallow conversation.
A few minutes later, Keima excused himself with that polite smile he always he gave to the adults he wasn't at ease with, but social norms dictated respect for the elder to his mother.
"Thanks for coming." Kiyoshi waved at Keima who was tying the blue collar around his hand.
"Same. See you."
Keima seemed cold in the strangest moments. But he wasn't fond of goodbyes, neither before and now. He gazed at Keima's back retreat and turn to follow the road. They had each other's number so they could meet whenever they want. Kiyoshi wasn't in a hurry, even when part of him wanted to make plans with him for tomorrow. Then, he remembered Keima had the worst memory for promises, which was surprising because he never forgot the truly important ones.