Chapter 67 – Empty Seat
The restaurant was louder than usual.
Plates clattered against tables, people talked over each other, and the smell of grilled meat and cheap fried food filled the air thick enough to stick to your clothes. It was the kind of place athletes always ended up after training because the portions were huge and nobody cared how long you stayed.
Southside occupied two pushed-together tables near the back.
Or at least—
most of Southside.
Yuma leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, visibly irritated before the food had even arrived.
"This place sucks."
"You say that every time," Sora replied while scrolling through his phone.
"Because it always sucks."
"Then stop coming."
"No."
Takumi sat properly as always, posture straight, silently looking over the menu despite already ordering the exact same thing every single visit.
Hiroto stared blankly at the table while Daichi and Ren argued quietly over some play from training earlier.
"You stepped too early."
"No, you shifted too late."
"If you closed the angle—"
"If you communicated—"
"Can both of you shut up?" Yuma snapped. "We're eating."
Tsubasa sat quietly at the edge of the group, occasionally glancing around but saying almost nothing.
And then—
there was Pambara.
He sat at the far end of the table awkwardly, like he still wasn't fully sure he was allowed there. His menu remained unopened in front of him.
"…You gonna order?" Yuma asked flatly.
Pambara blinked.
"O-oh. Right."
He opened the menu too quickly and nearly dropped it.
Sora snorted.
"Relax, man. It's not an exam."
"…Sorry."
"There he goes again," Yuma muttered. "'Sorry.'"
Pambara laughed weakly.
"…I do say that a lot, huh?"
"No shit."
The waitress came over.
Everyone ordered quickly.
Then she reached Pambara.
"…Um…"
He stared at the menu for a second too long.
"…What's good here?"
Yuma looked offended.
"Bro came to a restaurant and started asking the workers for build recommendations."
Sora burst out laughing immediately.
Even Ren smirked slightly.
Pambara smiled awkwardly.
"…I'll just get what he's getting then."
Yuma frowned.
"Don't copy me."
"…S-sorry."
"STOP APOLOGIZING," Yuma snapped.
Half the table laughed.
Even Hiroto let out the smallest breath through his nose.
For a moment—
it almost felt normal.
Then Yusuke's eyes drifted slightly.
Toward the empty chair.
Riku's chair.
Nobody sat there.
Nobody mentioned it either.
But everyone noticed.
The gap sat there quietly between conversations, heavier than all the noise around it.
"…You okay?"
Yusuke looked up slightly.
Pambara was looking at him carefully.
Not pushing.
Just asking.
"…Yeah."
It came out automatic.
Pambara nodded slowly.
Like he knew it wasn't true.
But didn't press further.
The food arrived not long after.
Plates slammed onto the table one after another.
Yuma immediately started eating like someone was about to steal it from him.
"Oi, don't touch my fries."
"Nobody wants your fries," Sora replied.
"You literally took one."
"I was testing them."
"You tested enough."
Meanwhile, Pambara sat staring at the massive plate in front of him.
"…This is huge."
"Welcome to reality," Yuma muttered through a mouthful of food.
Pambara picked up a fry carefully.
Took one bite.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…Oh."
Sora raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"…This is really good."
Yuma stared at him.
"…It's fries."
"Yeah but like…"
Pambara looked genuinely amazed.
"…Really good fries."
Sora nearly choked laughing.
Takumi rubbed his forehead slightly.
"…He really is weird."
The conversation drifted naturally after that.
Training.
School.
Complaints.
Random nonsense.
For the first time in a while—
the tension felt lighter.
Not gone.
Just… quieter.
Until Yuma suddenly looked toward Pambara again.
"…You seriously can't trap a ball?"
Pambara blinked mid-bite.
"…I can."
"You absolutely cannot."
"…I'm improving."
"From what? Negative skill?"
Pambara laughed softly instead of getting offended.
"…Probably."
"Bro admits it too easily," Ren muttered.
Yusuke stayed mostly quiet through all of it.
Listening.
Watching.
And slowly realizing something.
Pambara never defended himself.
Not once.
Not when insulted.
Not when laughed at.
Not when ignored.
He just…
accepted it.
And somehow—
that was stranger than getting angry.
The dinner eventually ended.
Everyone started standing, grabbing bags, arguing over who was paying.
"Yuma ate the most."
"I'm not paying extra because I'm talented."
"That's not how restaurants work."
"It should be."
Pambara stood slowly, almost forgetting his bag under the table.
Then paused.
"…Oh."
His eyes drifted toward the empty seat beside him.
Riku's seat.
A small silence hit him.
"…Was someone sitting here before?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Then Hiroto spoke quietly.
"…Yeah."
That was all.
Pambara looked at the chair for another second.
Then lowered his gaze slightly.
"…I see."
No one explained further.
Because they didn't need to.
The emptiness already explained enough.
Outside, the night air felt colder than before.
The group slowly split apart, heading different directions home.
Pambara stood there awkwardly for a second before giving a small wave.
"…See you guys tomorrow."
Most of them barely acknowledged it.
But Yusuke glanced back slightly.
"…Yeah."
Pambara smiled again.
That same soft, strange smile.
Then walked off into the night alone.
And for some reason—
Yusuke kept watching him leave longer than he meant to.
To Be Continued.