Chapter 5: [5] Invitation
"Hoh... I haven't been this tired in ages"
Izumo muttered as he sprawled on the grass and kept exhaling puffs of air, clearly exhausted from constantly running around.
And as he turned his head to his side, Izumo could see Aiku in front of their goal who was being surrounded by his teammates.
On the other hand, Izumo's team was sprawled all over the field and had exhaustion and defeat on their faces.
It was obvious from the expression the players were showing of who won and who lost.
3 - 1
After the goal Izumo scored, the rest of the opposing team started playing seriously, even Aiku didn't play around anymore and focused more on team play.
With Aiku as a temporary playmaker on the team, their level went up higher by a lot as their movement became more clear and smooth with his instructions.
Additionally, everyone from Izumo's team was already tired, bringing their performance to a lower level.
Plus, the opposing team started ganging up on Izumo and kept marking him which restricted a lot of his movement.
All these factors combined and the outcome became clear who won.
'It's not like this is the first time I experienced failure anyway'
Izumo thought as he just shrugged his shoulder since he was used to failing in the past.
He could still remember the countless times his business negotiations failed or a proposal of his was rejected.
But the feeling of victory on the other was rare...
It's a rather different feeling from a successful negotiation.
Unlike business, it didn't have the sort of exhilaration or challenge that could get Izumo pumping his blood in excitement.
But winning in a soccer/football match...
The gentle fresh air blowing through his face as he ran around the field...
Scoring a goal despite the obstacle in his way...
Outwitting a skilled player...
All of these were something Izumo had never tasted before, it was something fresh and new and he wanted to feel more of it.
'I'm starting to fall in love with soccer, haha...'
Izuno chuckled before sitting up and was about to stand when a hand reached out to him.
Looking up, Izumo saw it was Aiku who had his right hand extended toward him which he took, assisting him to stand up.
"Come to gloat on my loss?"
Izumo smirked and cracked a joke, knowing Aiku was not the type of person to brag or show off.
"Kid... No, Izumo was it, right?"
"Yeah?"
"Did someone teach you how to play"
"No... but if you consider Youtube then yes"
Aiku chuckled at Izumo's reply before he calmed down and stared at him, pondering something in his mind.
"You're already 6 years old, right?"
"Just turned today"
"Did you already pick an elementary school to enroll at?"
"No... not at the moment. Why?"
Izumo asked, though he already had an inkling of what Aiku was about to say next but he still waited patiently for him to say it.
"How about you join my school"
"..."
"We have a campus tour next week if you're interested"
Izumo stayed silent and brushed his chin, looking like an old man who had something on his mind.
"Hmm, I'll think about it"
"That's good enough for me"
Aiku nodded and didn't expect much since with Izumo's skills, he could enroll at any sport-oriented school in Japan and be accepted immediately.
"It was nice meeting you"
"Same"
Both of them shook hands which seemed unusual from an outsider's perspective considering they were just elementary students but were acting like adults instead.
After that, there was nothing else to say so they nodded at each other in respect and turned around, parting their ways and heading back to their respective teams.
"Are you going to keep laying there, Paruto?"
"Hah... it's... hah... Haruto"
"Uh-huh"
Izumo nodded and crouched down, staring at Haruto who was sprawled down on the ground in exhaustion.
"Good job"
"..."
Haruto stayed silent but his face was smiling and felt proud on the inside after hearing Izumo's praise and recognition for his effort.
"Y-Yeah"
The atmosphere was peaceful as the two merely enjoyed the gentle breeze brushing their faces when Izumo suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.
"By the way, do you happen to know which school these guys went to?"
Izumo asked as he turned his head toward where Aiku and his team were, who seemingly were preparing to leave.
"Yeah"
"That's good, that's good"
Izumo nodded and sighed in relief which made Haruto tilt his head, wondering what was up with his reaction.
Naturally, Izumo saw the confusion in Haruto's eyes and smiled, clarifying the situation to him.
"There is a campus tour next week and that guy, Aiku invited me. Wanting me to join their school or something"
"...!?"
"But... he didn't tell me which or where his school at, so..."
Izumo shyly scratched his cheeks, only realizing now that he should have asked earlier but he was too caught up in the moment he had with Aiku and forgot about it.
He couldn't possibly ask them now, it'd be too embarrassing for him.
'I'm an old man but I'm acting like a child'
Izumo groaned but as he thought about it, he was indeed a child.
"Y-You got invited?! That's awesome!"
"Hm? What's so awesome about it?"
"Don't you know? Their school is the strongest soccer team in Kansai Region"
"Oh..."
Haruto couldn't help but be frustrated and irritated at Izumo's lack of reaction.
"That's it?!"
"What? Would you rather I scream and shriek in excitement instead?"
"Yes! They're the TOP team in Kansai Region, this Kansai, the one where we are at right now"
"So? For a school supposedly the strongest, their team is... subpar at best"
Haruto stared at Izumo dumbfoundedly and couldn't believe the audacity and arrogance of this guy.
"That's because we were fighting against the reserve team!"
"..."
Izumo took a couple of seconds to process the information he had just learned and finally knew why they were so damn weak.
'Wait... If that's the case, then why was Aiku with them?'
Izumo thought and brushed his chin in contemplation, finding it quite hard to believe that Aiku, him of all things was just a reserve member.
'No way! The school must be a dumbass if they let a player like him be on the bench'
Izumo racked his brain before he shook his head when Haruto suddenly spoke and interrupted his thoughts.
"Ah... except for that guy, Aiku. He's a regular on the team"
"..."
Izumo twitched his right eyelid for a second and popped a small vein in his forehead as he extended his hand and clutched Haruto's head tightly.
"Ow! Ow! Ow! You're gonna crush my head!"
Izumo did not care at all and increased his grip on Haruto's head despite the begging and plea.
'I wasted my damn brain cells for nothing'
Still, Izumo was starting to get interested in this supposedly strongest soccer team in Kansai.
At first, he dismissed the invitation since he knew in the manga that Aiku's couch was incompetent but after hearing the full details.
He wanted to see what a top soccer team is like.
What's their environment...
How strong are their regulars?
Would he be able to improve if he were to join the team?
'Well, there's only one way to find out...'
Izumo had already decided in his mind and took note of the date. Depending on what he'll see that day, he might join or he might not.
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