Relieved by all that he had poured out, Izumi walked home while looking up at the sky. He put his hands in his pockets and began to think ahead. He no longer needed to be burdened with his feelings anymore as if he had been freed from the curse that had made him sick. Though, the curse was still lingering in his thoughts.
The next day, Izumi leaves for school early because the football club of his school is having a training camp. And the members are expected to arrive on time. The training camp location this time is quite far, and the location is in the highlands southwest of Miyagi prefecture, Naruko.
In Naruko, members of the football club can train their physical strength by running in uphill areas full of trees. There is also a football field close to a small lake. After doing the training, they can rest and relax by soaking in the hot springs in Naruko.
Well, even though Izumi joined the training camp, at the very least, it could also be considered a vacation.
After doing training and physical improvement for one week, the coach, Nakazawa Katsutoshi gathered all the members of the football club.
"Today, I will insert several players from team B to team A and vice versa. Team A will compete by including players from team B, both from the main team and reserve team. I will also choose who will enter the core team as long as the play is promising. Assessment based on play, physique, fitness, ability, communication, and leadership."
The coach explained at length to all members that those two teams will be equal and balanced. Not only the division of teams, but the coach also chose captains of teams A and B, be it core team or reserve.
After playing in one match, the coach chose the captains.
"Miyamura Izumi, you're chosen."
Izumi was a little surprised by what the coach said. He often skipped club activities, so he thought he wouldn't be selected. Moreover, he is the newest member. Izumi is selected as the captain of reserve team B.
Izumi raised his hand because he felt that it was unfair to the other members. After all, there were still a lot of second-year players.
"Why me? I recently joined this club."
"This is my decision after seeing how you play on the pitch. You have the charisma that can lift the morale of the team, control the flow of the match, and always calm on the pitch."
Izumi scratched his head. When he played, he always organized both attack and defense from his position in defensive midfield. Even though he deliberately played not seriously, the coach still chose him just because his leadership spirit was so obvious. And it meant, he was chosen as a vice-captain in team B as well as become a core member.
Izumi agreed on the condition that the other members also accept it heartily. What's more, he may often be absent from club activities. For example, if someone objected, Izumi didn't mind if the position was given to someone else.
He likes sports, but he also didn't really want to focus only on sports. Because there are a lot of things he wants to do.
Develop artificial intelligence, another world, as well as administrator D who lives in his current world. Those things alone already made his head hurt, especially the latter.
— — — —
When it was getting dark, Izumi, Hiroyuki, and Shou were soaked in the hot spring. There were also two other first-year students, Kazama Jin, and Tsukamoto Tsukushi.
When Izumi soaked his body in a hot spring, he let out an expression.
"Ahh. If we soak in hot water like this, I wonder why everyone reflexively says "Aah"?"
"Oh yeah, that's right."
Jin nodded, and then, he also added.
"Besides, it doesn't matter if you say "eeh", "uuh", or "ooh", right?"
"How about "iih"?"
"Why don't you try?"
"Why is our conversation so weird like this?"
Hiroyuki and Shou also joined the conversation. Also, Tsukushi followed after that.
Then, Izumi asked.
"Who started?"
"You are!"
Everyone immediately turned their heads while pointing at Izumi. They also burst out laughing.
A moment later, Jin said.
"By the way, no matter how many times I see that, it's quite surprising that you not only have piercings but a tattoo as well."
"Removing this tattoo will be troublesome, right?" Shou asked.
Izumi just nodded to answer while looking at the tattoo on his body.
Hiroyuki remembered something that made him ask Izumi.
"By the way, last week, a cosplaying little girl came to pick you up. Who is she? I don't think she's your sister."
Not only Hiroyuki, Shou, and Jin also respond.
"Right, right. I saw her too. Don't tell me she's your lover."
"If she's his lover, then Miyamura must be a lolicon."
Izumi, who leaned back and rested his head on the big rock in the middle of the hot spring, said without looking at them.
"Hey hey, don't spread misguided gossip. That girl said that she is the illegitimate daughter of my father. Don't look at her little girl's appearance, she's older than you, guys."
"Oh. So she's a legal loli."
Izumi slowly looked at them and smirked. If the members of the chat group have known Izumi for a long time, they will know what the meaning behind his smile is.
"Would you like to meet her? I can introduce her to you."
Hearing Izumi's question, Jin immediately waved his hand.
"Pass, I'm not interested in little girls."
"Tsk."
"Did you say "tsk" just now?"
"No, it's your imagination."
"Don't lie! I'm sure something will happen if one of us gets to know that girl, right?"
"You're so paranoid huh? Hahaha."
Izumi and his friends were joking with each other in the hot spring. Well, it's a place for relaxation, there's nothing wrong with joking to change the atmosphere.
— — — —
While Izumi was at the training camp, Tabane and Rori returned to their respective worlds.
On the 11th of August.
After the training camp was over, Izumi had time to spare a few days which he used to complete his artificial intelligence since it had entered its final phase. However, he couldn't complete it since he needed a voice sample.
"I have to find that person first to complete my first virtual idol." Izumi secretly said.
Izumi opened the chat group.
Izumi: @Kuroneko, if I remember correctly, the date in your world is the same as mine, right?
Kuroneko: Really?
Izumi: Is today August 11th?
Kuroneko: Eh? So, your world is also August 11th?
Izumi: Yup. Oh right, Kuroneko. I'm going to visit your world. Anyone wanna come with me?
Tabane-chan: Me me me!
Kuroneko: If you wanna go to my world, then you should help me!
Izumi: Help you? Why?
Kuroneko: Can you just answer "Alright"??? I made a doujin. And I want to sell it at the summer Comiket.
Izumi: Oh, a doujin? The "H" one?
Kuroneko: I'm not that pervert!!!
Izumi: Too bad. I thought you had awakened your hidden desire.
Kuroneko: Like hell, I would!!
Tabane-chan: So, when do we go?
Rori: Tomorrow?
Izumi: Oh, you're coming too, Rori?
Rori: Of course. How can this big sis not help her little sis who needs help?
Kuroneko: Rori… I love you! Kyaa...
Rori: Ufufufu. I love you too.
Tabane-chan: Hihihi...
Izumi: Someone, please help! Suddenly this Chat became a gathering of Yuris!
Kazuma: Yuri is better!!!! A fellow girl who was doing obscene things was unbearable… My bad, I got excited.
Tabane-chan: Kuzuma!
Rori: Kuzuma!
Kuroneko: Kuzuma!
The chat group is so quiet because of the business of each member. Currently, half of them don't show up in the Chat Group. Izumi thought Kazuma would come to visit Kuroneko's world, but he didn't. What was surprising was that Kakashi suddenly appeared and said that he was a bit free because Sasuke was no longer at Konohagakure, while Naruto was under Jiraiya's tutelage.