Red-tinted Glasses
Kiyoshi fiddled with the edge of his sleeve as he stuttered a greeting to the goggled boy, his voice echoing in the empty soccer field. His heart, filled with joy and embarrassment about to overflow, tinted his cheeks the color of the boy's cape draped over his shoulder.
Soccer practice had just ended. The boy emanated a distinct smell of sweat mixed with an expensive cologne that prickled his nose, zapping a pleasant shudder through his spine. Kidou-san was close, so close he could finally touch him. But the contact would break the boy's image of an unreachable being. He took a shaky breath and lifted his head, facing the boy who had seen through him, noticed it.
"We should sit down," the boy said, making his way to the bleachers with a formal air. Kiyoshi nodded blissfully, inadvertently bringing a hand to his hair and stopped short at the memory of fixing it just moments ago before promptly stalking after his idol.
They sat at a comfortable distance, yet Kiyoshi's heart whispered to close in. Don't let this chance go. Learn more about the boy behind the stoic expression, about his fears and dreams.
There was something personal and secret about meeting in a field after school. Not a glimpse of the spy life; it was a sense of blind trust between them, who were less than acquaintances. Like strangers with a name.
Snapping out of his stupor at the sight of a bundle of papers extended to him, Kiyoshi took the documents and thanked the boy. Kidou-san began explaining his mission, reading over a single sheet of paper with the focus of an athlete in the zone.
His first mission was to study Fire Tornado, Gouenji Shuuya's A.K.A. Kidokawa Seishuu's captain, hissatsu technique.
Kiyoshi skimmed through the papers with trembling fingers, peeking at Kidou-san from the corner of his eyes through his red-rimmed glasses. There was no way Kidou-san remembered what he said during the tryouts, Kiyoshi told himself, he had other nine people in command. Nevertheless, those words were a direct acknowledgment, proof of his existence. The goggled boy had cared enough to watch his plays, realized he was hiding something, and reprimanded him. The memory made his face heat up, arousing something he couldn't label, something between bliss and gratefulness that made his heart bang incessantly against his chest. He lowered his sight to Gouenji Shuuya's profile, absentmindedly staring at the white spaces between the paragraphs.
"Don't let anyone see those documents. Burn them once finish reading them over." Kidou-san's forehead wrinkled, a bent finger setting over his thin lips as if brooding. The boy's skin was slightly tan, perhaps smooth to the touch. From that distance, Kiyoshi could count the boy's beauty marks and sunburns, even trace them with his fingers if he reached out.
Kidou-san continued explaining the rest of the details about Kiyoshi's status in Kidokawa. He was in Mukata Tsutomu, Mukata Masaru, and Mukata Momo's class; it was up to him how to make use of them. He had plenty of freedom, but that didn't change the fact he was a tool.
"I don't have much to tell about how to do your work. But you mustn't get caught," Kidou-san warned with concern.
Kiyoshi nodded, not quite sure what else to say.
The boy frowned, turning to him. "Give me your report as soon as it is done. I will give you your next mission after that." He added, "Things might change at any moment. Be ready for anything."
"Yes."
Kidou-san raised his head, fixing his tinted goggles at him. Kiyoshi contemplated what color hid behind them. Were they pretty? Perhaps they were a glossy brown or a polished black?
". . . Any questions?"
Kiyoshi shook his head and replied softly as if talking to a dear friend, "Not in particular. I have to get my head around everything."
The briefing lasted another hour, Kiyoshi alternating between catching the boy's explanation and carving his features in an eternal portrait in his mind. They would see each other again the following week, but this moment would last a second.
Kidou-san closed the meeting by saying to contact him in an emergency. After packing his belongings, he threw his cape over his shoulder in a smooth movement. Kiyoshi couldn't take his eyes off the goggled boy. The uniform fitted him nicely, giving him a stoic, charming aura like the captain of a battalion. A sigh escaped from the boy's thin lips, vulnerable and innocent, waiting for the right pair to gift its first touch.
Marveled at the sight, Kiyoshi's desire died down like a baby falling asleep. This was enough, he thought, drowning in the warmth of his increasing feelings. Kidou-san lived in a world he wasn't welcomed. He was average at most, and Kidou-san was a genius, touching him seemed like a sacrilege. Avarice was anything more than passive observation.
"I have heard a few things about you, Ryuugamine-san," Kidou-san said, smirking.
With his backpack in place, Kiyoshi froze. "U-Um, w-what kind of things?" he replied in a polite way. He was older, but their relationship was purely soccer-related. If seniority was established through experience, Kidou-san would obviously be better.
"Things about your soccer."
The tension sucked back into Kiyoshi's body. He looked down, his bangs covering his eyes.
"Is that why you chose Teikoku?" the boy continued.
Kiyoshi lifted his eyes, inhaling sharply. "W-What do you mean?"
"Your soccer is similar to Teikoku's," he said plainly with a raised eyebrow, walking out of the field.
Kiyoshi quickly caught up, always a step behind him. ". . . No, that's not why I chose to come here," he replied in his usual quiet voice. It wasn't the decisive factor. However, in his heart, he didn't contradict the boy's last words.
Perhaps realizing Kiyoshi's apprehension, Kidou-san retreated his smirk, carrying on their way to the school entrance in heavy silence. Now he had done it.
"Kidou-san. . ." Kiyoshi said softly.
"Yes?"
He hesitated. "Will the Coach keep his promise?" Kiyoshi had heard Kidou-san was close to the Coach. If there's anyone who knew the answer, it was him.
After enough time passed to convince Kiyoshi the boy had chosen to ignore the question, he answered, "I'm not sure. As long you don't betray him and Teikoku wins, the Commander should give what he promised."
Kiyoshi nodded meekly, his steps booming in the hollow hallway which seemed brighter than usual. Actually, after speaking with the Coach, he saw the school in a new light. It was this dull building where, in its darkest corners, people sealed dirty deals.
"If you knew how to use your talent, the Commander would have offered you to come to Teikoku," the boy commented, "You will fail the tryouts again if you don't come to terms with your style."
Kiyoshi stopped, gazing at the boy breathless. "You. . . remember." He glanced at the sides, confirming they were still alone. ". . . You. . . know?"
Kidou-san's grin grew to his characteristic smirk, as if he finally got the reaction he wanted, sucking the air out of Kiyoshi as he squealed in his mind. "I have to admit I am a bit impressed."
Kiyoshi couldn't help but frown, his earlier excitement plummeted down to bits, hoping the boy didn't take it as a sign of aggression but confusion. He hurt people for no reason. To others, that is. Kidou-san couldn't understand his motive and actions or could he?
"I didn't imagine you were hiding that type of power. However, I have to agree with the Commander. It's too dangerous for Teikoku if you can't control it."
Kiyoshi stood reticent, unable to reply at the truth. That was the second step. The time constraint just added to his uneasiness.
The entrance got nearer. Light, peeking from the far end, was the finish line signal.
"What lies for you at the end, Ryuugamine-san?" the boy asked casually.
Kiyoshi lifted his eyes with difficulty. "I don't know. If it's success or failure, I have no way of knowing."
Kidou-san fixed his cape. "That is not what I mean. I was asking after your job is over. What do you want to do after entering the soccer team?"
Kiyoshi felt a pull at the heartstrings. He struggled to speak, took a deep breath, and confessed in a small, bashful voice, silently praying the boy wouldn't criticize his dream.
"I-I want to become a pro. . ."
Kidou-san hummed, amused. "If you pass the tryout and apply for the varsity team, you can take part in the Football Frontier. A lot scouts from all over the world watch over it."
Kiyoshi gasped. "There's another test?!"
The boy raised his eyebrow and nodded. "You also need the Commander and the captain's approval to enter the varsity team from the reserve team."
"Yes, understood." Kiyoshi made a genuine, warm smile. "Thank you very much, Kidou-san." It was more than he could ask. Kidou-san dispelled the dark mist that blinded him, showing Kiyoshi a glimpse of hope. It was at that moment that a familiar flutter in his stomach set his feelings for the boy.
"Then, I will be waiting, Ryuugamine-san." Kidou-san shifted towards a black car parked beside the road as the sun dipped in the orange sky, giving him a back-wave. "Tame the beast inside you and get its power. Otherwise, you won't get anywhere in the soccer world."