Chapter 72 – Rooftop Silence
The city looked quieter from above.
Not actually quiet. Cars still moved through the streets below, distant conversations still echoed faintly between buildings, and the glow of neon signs still painted the night in shifting colors. But from the rooftop, everything felt farther away.
Smaller.
Like the problems down there couldn't quite reach this high.
Tsubasa sat near the edge with his knees pulled slightly upward, a bottle resting beside him untouched. The cold wind pushed lightly through his hair while he stared toward the skyline without really focusing on anything specific.
The rooftop door creaked open behind him.
Footsteps followed.
Slow.
Tired.
"…Knew I'd find you here."
Tsubasa glanced back slightly.
Yusuke stepped onto the rooftop with his hands in his pockets, looking exhausted despite training ending hours ago.
"…You come here a lot too?"
Tsubasa shrugged lightly.
"…Sometimes."
Yusuke walked closer.
Then sat beside him quietly.
Silence settled naturally between them.
Neither of them felt the need to fill it immediately.
The wind blew harder for a moment.
Somewhere below, a siren echoed faintly through the streets.
"…You think we got weaker?"
Tsubasa asked it suddenly.
Directly.
No hesitation.
Yusuke stared ahead.
"…Yeah."
No point lying.
Another silence followed.
Longer this time.
Heavier.
Tsubasa leaned forward slightly, resting his arms against his knees.
"…I keep replaying that last match in my head."
Yusuke didn't respond.
Because he was doing the same thing.
"…Every shot Aka took," Tsubasa continued quietly. "Every movement."
His fingers tightened slightly together.
"…And every time I think I understand it…"
A pause.
"…I realize I was already too late."
The words hung there heavily.
Yusuke finally spoke.
"…You blocked more than anyone else could've."
Tsubasa shook his head immediately.
"…Didn't matter."
That answer came too fast.
Too honestly.
Tsubasa lowered his gaze toward the rooftop floor.
"…A goalkeeper only remembers the ones that got through."
The city lights reflected faintly in his eyes.
"…And I let too many through."
Yusuke leaned back slightly against the wall behind them.
"…You think too much."
Tsubasa laughed softly.
"…Yeah."
"…Seriously."
Yusuke looked over at him.
"…You hesitate before every decision now."
Tsubasa stayed quiet.
Because again—
he was right.
"…I'm scared of being wrong."
The confession came out low.
Almost embarrassed.
Yusuke frowned slightly.
"…Everyone's wrong sometimes."
"Yeah, but if I'm wrong…"
Tsubasa swallowed slightly.
"…People score."
Silence.
The wind shifted again.
Colder now.
"…You know what the worst part is?" Tsubasa asked quietly.
Yusuke glanced toward him.
"…I see it."
A pause.
"…Sometimes I actually know exactly where the shot's going."
His hands tightened.
"…And I still can't move."
Yusuke's eyes narrowed slightly.
Not judging.
Trying to understand.
"…Why?"
Tsubasa laughed weakly.
"…Because if I move and I'm wrong…"
He looked down.
"…Then it's my fault."
That hit harder than expected.
Because Yusuke understood that feeling.
Just differently.
The rooftop fell silent again.
The city below kept moving.
Uncaring.
After a while, Tsubasa spoke again.
"…What about you?"
Yusuke blinked slightly.
"…What about me?"
"You've been acting weird since Riku left."
Yusuke immediately looked away slightly.
"…I'm fine."
Tsubasa snorted softly.
"…That's the most fake sentence you've ever said."
For the first time all night—
Yusuke smiled slightly.
Tiny.
Barely there.
But real.
Then it disappeared again.
"…I don't know how to lead this team."
The words came out quieter than expected.
More tired than emotional.
Tsubasa stayed silent.
Listening.
"…Before, everyone just moved."
Yusuke stared toward the skyline.
"…Riku covered gaps nobody noticed."
A pause.
"…Now every mistake feels obvious."
The guilt sat underneath every word.
"…And the worst part…"
Yusuke's jaw tightened slightly.
"…I didn't even realize how much he mattered until he left."
Silence.
Heavy.
Honest.
Tsubasa looked upward toward the dark sky.
"…You gonna go after him?"
Yusuke didn't answer immediately.
Because he'd thought about it.
A lot.
"…I already tried."
A bitter laugh escaped him quietly.
"…He told me to buzz off."
Tsubasa winced slightly.
"…Damn."
"…Yeah."
The rooftop door rattled lightly behind them from the wind.
Neither moved.
"…You think he'll come back?"
Tsubasa asked eventually.
Yusuke stared at the city below for a long time before answering.
"…No."
The answer hurt.
Mostly because he believed it.
The wind blew through the rooftop one more time.
Cold.
Quiet.
Endless.
And for a while—
the two of them just sat there together in silence.
Not fixing anything.
Not solving anything.
Just…
sharing the weight of it.
To Be Continued.