Chapter 68 – Crossing Paths
Training ended earlier than usual.
Not because things went well.
If anything, the session had been messy from start to finish. Misplaced passes, arguments, exhaustion, people talking over each other every five minutes. Yuma almost started a fight with Ren after a tackle came in too hard. Takumi got annoyed because nobody was listening during drills. Hiroto looked one bad play away from mentally checking out entirely.
And through all of it—
Pambara kept trying.
Which somehow annoyed everyone even more.
By the time evening rolled around, most of the team had already gone home.
Most.
Yusuke walked down the sidewalk quietly with his hands in his pockets, still sweaty from training despite the cooler air settling over the city. Beside him, Hiroto scrolled through his phone absentmindedly, occasionally adjusting the strap of his bag.
Neither of them spoke much.
The silence wasn't awkward.
Just tired.
"…You think he'll actually stay?" Hiroto asked eventually.
Yusuke glanced sideways.
"…Pambara?"
Hiroto nodded once.
"He's weak."
"…Yeah."
"He knows he's weak."
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…Still showed up again though."
Yusuke didn't answer.
Because that part bothered him too.
Most people quit after one day getting treated like that.
Pambara smiled through it.
That wasn't normal.
They turned the corner near a small convenience store, bright white lights spilling across the pavement from inside. A vending machine buzzed softly beside the entrance.
Then—
Yusuke stopped walking.
Two familiar figures stood near the storefront.
Réservoir leaned casually against the wall with a canned coffee in one hand, his messy brown hair slightly damp from the night air. His expression looked as relaxed and irritating as ever.
And beside him—
Aka.
He crouched near the curb strangely, balancing a soccer ball against the top of his foot without using his hands. His long black hair spilled down his back, red eyes reflecting faintly under the store lights.
The moment he noticed Yusuke—
he smiled.
Wide.
Sharp.
Uncomfortable.
"…Yusuke."
Hiroto's posture stiffened immediately.
"…Why are you here?"
Réservoir shrugged lightly.
"…Buying drinks."
Aka tilted his head slightly.
"…And now we're talking."
"We're not," Hiroto replied instantly.
Réservoir smirked.
"…Still tense after losing?"
Yusuke ignored him.
His eyes stayed locked onto Aka.
"…What do you want?"
Aka stood slowly.
The ball dropped from his foot perfectly into place beside him.
"…Nothing."
A pause.
"…I just wanted to see your face again."
Hiroto clicked his tongue.
"…Creepy bastard."
Aka ignored that completely.
His attention never left Yusuke.
"…You cried."
Yusuke froze slightly.
"…What?"
"You cried after the match."
Aka smiled faintly.
"…I noticed."
Hiroto stepped forward slightly.
"…The hell is wrong with you?"
Réservoir took a sip of his drink calmly.
"…Quite a lot, probably."
Aka suddenly walked closer.
Not aggressively.
Not threateningly.
Just… invading space naturally like he didn't understand boundaries.
Yusuke stayed still.
"…You're interesting now," Aka said quietly.
"…More interesting than before."
Yusuke frowned.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
Aka's smile widened slightly.
"…Before, you only cared about winning."
A pause.
"…Now you look desperate."
That hit harder than Yusuke wanted it to.
Because it was true.
Réservoir glanced between them casually.
"…Southside feels different now."
Hiroto looked annoyed immediately.
"…What's that supposed to mean?"
"…Less balanced."
Réservoir shrugged.
"…Like something important got removed."
Silence.
Aka suddenly looked around.
"…Where's the invisible one?"
Yusuke's expression hardened instantly.
"…Don't call him that."
"…Why?"
Aka genuinely looked curious.
"…That's what he is."
Hiroto stepped forward again.
"…Watch your mouth."
Réservoir sighed softly.
"…Relax. He's complimenting him in his own weird way."
Aka tilted his head.
"…He chased me better than the others."
A small smile.
"…I liked him."
Yusuke clenched his fists slightly.
"…He's not coming back."
For the first time—
Aka's smile faded a little.
Not fully.
Just enough.
"…That's unfortunate."
The silence after that felt heavier than before.
Even the city noise around them seemed quieter somehow.
Réservoir pushed himself off the wall slowly.
"…We should go."
Aka didn't move immediately.
Still staring at Yusuke.
"…You'll lose again like this."
The words came casually.
Like observation.
Not trash talk.
That somehow made them worse.
"…Shut up," Hiroto muttered.
Aka blinked slowly.
Then smiled again.
"…Try proving me wrong."
And just like that—
he turned away.
Walking off down the sidewalk beside Réservoir without another word.
Yusuke watched them disappear into the crowd.
His jaw tight.
His chest tense.
"…I hate that guy," Hiroto muttered.
Yusuke didn't answer immediately.
Because underneath the anger—
underneath the irritation—
there was something worse.
A feeling.
That Aka might actually be right.
And that scared him more than losing ever had.
To Be Continued.